Plan to turn care home block into rooms for homeless

The council says Mildred Stone House is within easy walking distance of the town centre, shops and bus routes

A former care home could be converted into temporary accommodation for people who are homeless.

Private operator Leaf Care closed Mildred Stone House in Lawn Avenue, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in March 2023.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) is applying for planning permission to use 20 of the rooms for up to three years as temporary accommodation.

If the plans were approved, nine rooms would be used for single people and 11 rooms for families.

Affordable housing

According to documents published on GYBC’s website, the council would rent the space from the building’s owner while looking for a longer-term solution.

The documents state: “Currently individuals and families who find themselves without a home are often being placed in B&B accommodation, which is not the council’s preferred option.

It continued: “The need for temporary accommodation is outstripping supply of suitable housing for this use.

"The use of Mildred Stone House will go some way to address this need and provide safe, decent and affordable housing to those families and individuals who require it.”

The application states that the building is within easy walking distance of the town centre, shops and bus routes.

A decision is expected by 12 January 2024.

In October, analysis by the Local Government Association found that £1.74bn was spent by local councils in 2022-23 on proving temporary housing.