Concerns Dismissed About Council’s Purchase Of Southport Hotel

Sefton Council said it has a statutory duty to prevent and relieve homelessness and pointed to the shortage of single person accommodation, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Concerns about the purchase of a Southport hotel have been categorically dismissed by Sefton Council, which said it remains committed to tackling the misery of homelessness in the borough. The proposals for Sefton Council’s acquisition of the Salfordian Hotel were called in by Cllr Mike Sammon after he raised concerns about the future allocation of the apartments, and suggested the eligibility criteria include families.

Cllr Sammon’s objection came just a few weeks after the council’s cabinet had recommended the hotel purchase for approval, defining it as ‘valuable opportunity’ to increase its supply of temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. The hotel has been owned by Salford City Council since the 1960s, but the local authority recently approached Sefton Council with an offer to sell the site. Salford Council were said to be keen for the property to remain in public ownership. If Sefton Council decides to proceed with the purchase, it would need to apply for all necessary planning approvals before completing the sale. If planning permission is required, the council confirmed it will apply to the Local Planning Authority, and commence a consultation process.

Last night in Bootle Town Hall (November 19), Cllr Sammon presented his reasons at a ‘Special Meeting’ of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Regeneration and Skills. He said: “This call in relates to the decision which states that The Salfordian will be used for single adults in priority groups. Families with children who are also a priority group have been excluded. What is missing from the report, and the FAQ, is a clear explanation for that reason and why families were excluded. When the council describes the building as suitable for small households, it naturally raises a question that has not yet been answered, why has the decision been restricted strictly to singles and couples without exploring whether some level of family provision could be included.”

Cllr Sammon continued: “Many residents have said they would feel more assured if there was some capacity for families. This site is directly opposite a popular family park and people naturally see it as the kind of location where some family use could work.”

Responding to the motion, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for communities and partnership, Cllr Liz Dowd said: “The local authority has a statutory obligation to prevent and relieve homelessness. In doing so, it also relieves the misery of homelessness and provides hope for the future. The purchase of The Salfordian really will support these aims.”

Cllr Dowd added: “I’m genuinely struggling to understand the reason for this call in. This council has such an advantageous opportunity to purchase a building to relieve homelessness and misery. It should be noted that 70% of those currently in temporary accommodation are single people, as I indicated in the Cabinet meeting on the second of October. These people are our family and friends, and I indicated the main reasons for homelessness. So why would we not do all we can to provide a safe and secure roof over somebody’s head?”

Sefton Council’s assistant director of people and communities, Mel Ormesher added to the debate: “The purchase of The Salfordian will assist the council in both increasing and improving its supply of temporary accommodation. The council is currently supporting around 270 households experiencing homelessness and with temporary accommodation. 70% of this demand is from single households and 30% from families, and at the time of reporting, that would break down roughly to 67 families and 207 individuals. It’s with individual accommodation, single person accommodation, that is really in short supply in Sefton, in both the social and private rented sectors.”

Ms Ormesher continued: “The purchase of The Salfordian provides the council with an opportunity to increase its supply of temporary accommodation in-house and within the borough. To note, [the rooms] are largely single rooms. A couple of them are double rooms. Therefore, in terms of talking about accommodation for families, notwithstanding the regulations around accommodation for families, those rooms would not really be considered suitable without significant regulation.”

The committee voted it was not concerned by the cabinet’s recommendation, and Sefton Council’s proposal to purchase The Salfordian will progress to the next stage.