Flats costing £12.5m bought to house city's homeless

Abbey Lodge student village has been closed since around 2020

Derby City Council has purchased a former student accommodation complex to turn it into flats for homeless families, at a cost of £12.5m.

Derby Homes papers published prior to a board meeting on Thursday said the authority has bought the Abbey Lodge Student Village on Lonsdale Place in the city, aiming to convert it into 96 new flats.

It was reported earlier this year that the local authority was looking to purchase a facility within the Abbey ward of Derby to house homeless people.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the papers also revealed that people could be moving into the site in just a few weeks' time.

The report said the £12.5m to buy the student village had come from “government funding, un-ringfenced Right to Buy receipts, section 106 monies, capital receipts and council borrowing”.

It also said Derby Homes staff “are currently undertaking initial works to enable the safe occupation of blocks” by 31 August.

The report continued: “This will mean that 45 families will be transferred from the highest-cost placements into this new provision.

"Over the next couple of years, the internal design will be reconfigured to achieve maximum occupancy."

'Less suitable' alternatives

Councillor Shiraz Khan, Derby City Council cabinet member for housing, said: “Derby, like many places in the UK, is experiencing unprecedented demand for affordable housing and seeing rising levels of homelessness.

"We will renovate Abbey Lodge to create 96 flats, providing temporary homes for families in need.

"This will help reduce the number of families placed in less suitable temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts."

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