Worthing Homeless Accommodation: Residents' Continue Objections

Worthing residents have continued to express anger over not being heard about the decision to potentially house single homeless people in the Windsor House Hotel.

This comes after hundreds of people were left queuing outside a community hall in Worthing, for a public consultation on the plans led by developer SDR group, since there was not enough space inside.

Residents made their objections to the joint overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, July 23, which was called to address the decision making process of Worthing cabinet member Emma Taylor-Beale (Lab, Heene Ward) and leader of Adur council Neil Parkin (Con, Hillside), who co-signed the deal on behalf of the councils with SDR.

It would see a ten year contract worth £7.8 million given to SDR for 44 temporary accommodation residences, split by need between Adur and Worthing Councils, with the deal expected to save the council £2.5 million over the ten years, no longer paying around £113 per night per person to hotels and B&Bs.

Pennie Joyce, who lives in the same road as the hotel, said:

"No one’s come to ask me my story, that is not ok and you need to come listen to us please.

"Not words, real ears and action."

She said the lack of consultation was unacceptable and that SDR and the councils had not adequately notified residents of the last consultation, had not accounted for previous objections properly and needed to hold another consultation for residents.

She also stated the area is being affected by anti-social behaviour generated due to an over-concentration of temporary accommodation there, claiming the area already houses a large portion of existing temporary accommodation for Worthing Borough Council.

The deal, Ms Taylor-Beale said, would not only save the councils money, but give homeless people a place to stay and help prevent homelessness in Worthing and Adur.

Under the Housing Act 1996, local authorities such as Worthing Borough Council and Adur District Council, have a duty to help people who are homeless to secure accommodation for at least six months, and people threatened with homelessness to avoid it.

The meeting heard that  the Home Office, London Boroughs and other local authorities had been looking at the hotel for temporary accommodation, with 91 per cent of temporary accommodation for Adur and Worthing being out of the two areas, according to council officers.

Adur member Lee Cowen (Lab, Lancing) said it was ‘open season’ for the Home Office for this kind of accommodation who need housing for asylum seekers, and he had a homeless resident relocated to Milton Keynes due to a lack of local temporary accommodation.

Mr Parkin said it was a great opportunity to bring homeless people closer to the districts than they are – and since the hotel would house mostly Worthing residents, as long as the Worthing member was happy with the deal he would sign it as it was mostly a Worthing matter.

Conservative councillors expressed concerns about the lack of public consultation, stating the council was pushing this through without any  consideration for the public with Worthing member Heather Mercer (Con, Salvington) questioning Ms Taylor-Beale’s decision making.

Ms Taylor-Beale said she stood by her decision to partner with SDR – with the scrutiny committee voting to take no further action on the decision making process.