Council placing homeless in hostel without planning permission

Richard Evans

A retrospective planning application for a homeless hostel was thrown out by councillors after it was revealed a north Wales council had been funding the people already living there to the tune of £316,000.

Denbighshire County Council (DCC) councillors voted to refuse planning permission for the homeless hostel at 28 Nant Hall Road, Prestatyn, against planning officers’ advice to grant.

A petition of 130 names against the plans was presented at the council chamber where residents complained of drug dealers living at the property, syringes in gardens, and anti-social behaviour, at a planning meeting at Ruthin County Hall HQ this week.

Public safety

The petition objected on the grounds of public safety, claiming police confirmed 19 incidents linked to the property, including cases of “drug dealing, assaults, safeguarding issues involving children, domestic violence, and harassment”.

The petition said the hostel was “irresponsibly” placed next to a school and “struggling businesses”.
Council officers, though, claimed many of these reports had been linked to victims of crime and not just the perpetrators.

But planning committee members called it “astonishing” when it was revealed that the council had already been funding placements at the hostel, managed by Together Homes NW Ltd, since May/June 2024.

Beggared belief

Cllr Andrea Tomlin said it “beggared belief” that the council had paid £316,000 to the 10-bed hostel at a rate of £78 per night – figures she said were obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.

“DCC has ignored its very own planning policy and public protection procedures,” she said.

She went on to say there were 110 homeless households in Denbighshire but just 11 in Prestatyn itself.

Cllr Tomlin added: “So 90% of DCC’s homeless households are not from Prestatyn. That’s important here as the report tells us that this property contributes to the housing need in Prestatyn.”

Cllr Tomlin then read a letter from Ysgol Bodnant’s chair of governors, stating the primary school was less than 100 metres from the hostel.

She then said North Wales Police had admitted 24 incidents were connected to the property, including two recalls to prison.

‘Found syringes’

She claimed residents had “found syringes and discarded drug packets in their garden borders and hedgerows” and added: “I have had a confirmed report of a drug dealer staying at the property, selling cheap drugs, so (the hostel) attracts all sorts to the area.”

Cllr Chris Evans questioned how the hostel could operate without having all its “ducks in a row”.

Chairman Cllr Mark Young said he was right to question this but advised members to bring it up for scrutiny outside the planning meeting.

Cllr Karen Edwards said: “For the (council’s) homeless prevention team to have placed people in this property, knowing full well it didn’t have the necessary planning permission, that in itself is not only shocking but totally unacceptable.”

Cllr Terry Mendies added: “It’s been clear from the very beginning, and when I read all these papers, I, like Cllr (Chris) Evans, was scratching my head and shaking my head and slapping my forehead that for 18 months the applicants have been operating a business without the full planning permission, and it’s only here today because they’ve been given an enforcement warning notice.”

Cllr Alan James said: “Cllr Tomlin has said, ‘Why would we vote to grant this?’ I’ll tell you why. To support the homeless people, to improve their lives and opportunities, to enable them and their families to move on with their lives, to minimise the homeless people’s problems in the future.

“We, the members of Denbighshire County Council, represent Denbighshire residents, and these are Denbighshire residents. Why shouldn’t we support this application? This hostel has been running for 18 months. Hardly anybody knew about it. The only reason they knew about it was that this retrospective application came to the planning department.”

Struggling

He added: “Many people end up in a homeless situation, not because they are bad people. Many aren’t. We’ve heard from (Cllr) Julie Matthews, saying we’ve got ex-servicemen and women who are struggling to get homes. The reason they lose their homes is often through ill health, through family breakdown, loss of employment, domestic violence, a variety of reasons.

“So I think we need to actually get our feet on the ground and think very clearly about what we are doing.”

Speaking on behalf of Together Homes NW Ltd, which she ran with Matthew Gordon, Laura Williams said the company had been unsure of what planning permission existed when the hostel first opened.

“They are selected, the people who come to us. They are vetted, and like I said, they are fully managed 24/7 with trained staff, being myself, a registered nurse, currently working for the NHS,” she said.

“We don’t just offer support with regards to washing facilities; (they are) able to cook, and live a normal life when these people are put in a situation of homelessness, which is on the increase due to the demands of living at the moment.

“We have a no drugs or alcohol policy. We have room checks. People are moved on if there’s any problem, any anti-social behaviour. I must point out that since May 2024 when we opened, we have had no anti-social behaviour at all.

“The incidents that were recorded by North Wales Police, who have said they’ve got no issues with the property, all the incidents recorded are victims of crime, not perpetrators that are living at our residence. We have families; we have single males; we have couples; we have single women; we have children that go to the local schools.”

She added the property had helped one of their residents find a catering job locally.

The committee voted 12 against, six in favour, with one abstention, and the application was refused.

A second vote was taken after a short break as the committee failed to cite a reason for refusal. The reason given by the committee was the fear of crime and the potential effect on the local community and this was agreed with 12 votes for and five against.