Archive - Tuesday, 27 January 2004


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Homeless hostel plan put on hold

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to create a hostel for the homeless in Chepstow was put on hold by councillors yesterday.

Members of Monmouthshire County Council's planning committee voted to hold a site meeting over the proposal by Charter Housing to turn Hill House, a bed and breakfast in Mount Pleasant, into sleeping accommodation for the temporary homeless.

The hostel plans to provide nine rooms for young people under the age of 25 who are in need of housing and have no family to support them.

The facility would be managed by Newport Action for the Single Homeless and would be staffed by a manager, four project workers, a clerical assistant and cleaning staff.

But the proposal has provoked considerable opposition from the local community who say the hostel would have an adverse impact on the area.

More than 40 individual letters of objection have been sent to the council while Chepstow Town Council also opposes the plan.

Hill House, a substantial detached property fronting the main A48 road, is in the Chepstow Conservation Area and residents object to the extension and change of use of the building.

Residents also fear they will be vulnerable to anti-social behaviour from occupants of the hostel, that there will be increased parking problems and a loss in property value.

Planning officer David Swanson told yesterday's meeting that he did not feel that likely disturbance from the site justified the refusal of the application. However, he added that at an appeal into a test case in Newport, fears of local residents was defined as a planning concern.

Cllr Verona Bamford believed accommodation for the homeless was desperately needed in Chepstow.

She said: "The fact that this has been taken forward by a housing association and in view of the fact that we have been desperate in the past for this sort of accommodation for the homeless I would be very pleased to move this application."

But Cllr Cliff Meredith voiced fears over possible traffic congestion while Cllr Peter Clarke raised concerns over the appearance of the proposed extension. Cllr Andrew Crump's call for a site meeting was agreed.