Hotel a 'vital way' to help single homeless people

Marion Atkinson said asylum seekers would not be housed at the Salfordian Hotel

Sefton Council's purchase of a hotel will help address the lack of temporary accommodation for single homeless people in the borough, its leader has said.

The Grade II-listed Salfordian Hotel sits opposite Hesketh Park in Southport.

Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson told BBC Radio Merseyside that locals should not be fearful of single people being housed there, adding that "people can be homeless for a number of reasons".

In response to "the most-asked question" from residents, however, she confirmed that asylum seekers would not be housed at the hotel.

Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson was speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside

Despite being 48 miles (77km) away from the coastal resort, Salford Council has owned the hotel since the 1960s.

Initially, it was used to provide holidays for residents and their carers.

Earlier this year, Salford Council approached Sefton Council to see if they wanted to buy it.

At a cabinet meeting last week, Southport Council agreed to proceed with the purchase.

Some local people have launched a petition against the plans, though, arguing it would "irrecoverably" change the area.

The group behind the petition said: "This building would almost certainly be used for single adult men, including ex-offenders and those with complex needs, placed here before proper risk assessments are complete."

A council officer told the cabinet meeting that the Salfordian Hotel would give the local authority a "valuable opportunity" to increase its supply of temporary accommodation for eligible Sefton households.

The number of households in temporary accommodation in Sefton has risen sharply, driven by factors such as an increase in demand for accommodation and a lack of suitable supply.

In February, the council approved £1m to support the borough's homelessness support service.

This would include buying and refurbishing premises assessed as being suitable for temporary accommodation.

'Costing a fortune'

Sefton Council currently supports 270 households living in temporary accommodation, of which about 170 are classed as being single.

Atkinson said the accommodation at the Salfordian Hotel would provide a "stopgap" for homeless people before they could be found a more permanent home.

She stressed that risk assessments would be carried out for potential residents of the hotel, adding: "We have to stop putting people in boxes. They're humans. Whether it be their relationship breaks up, whether they've been in the Army, whether they've been in jail.

"There's a host of reasons why they're homeless, and we need facilities."

The Labour-run council leader said temporary accommodation was costing "an absolute fortune" and added "we need facilities like this to get people moved on".

The local authority said that, subject to the relevant planning permission being granted, a registered housing provider would be appointed to manage the site.

The site would be staffed 24 hours a day to ensure safety and support, she said.

Occupants would have to sign a licence agreement and any breach of the conditions in the agreement could result in them losing the accommodation.