A change of use application to renovate a new base for the RISE homelessness project in Grosvenor Place, creating rooms for up to eight people, will be discussed by councillors on the Planning Committee next week.
The project – which is over two phases- aims to reconfigure 38-40 Grosvenor Place, Margate to provide the permanent base for RISE, 8 bedrooms with shared kitchen, bathing and laundry facilities, plus office space for RISE staff.
The first phase will be the conversion of the single storey extension to enable the relocation of the homelessness project team.
Objections
But the application, made by Thanet council, has resulted in some 40 objections with concerns raised including fears of an increase of antisocial behaviour in the area.
Commentators say it is not an appropriate location because “the area already suffers from anti-social behaviour and illegal activities, which will put future residents of RISE at risk.”
Other issues cited include security concerns over the alley at the rear of the site and accommodation being “small and cramped.”
Concern was also raised that the site has curtilage listed status on the single storey building. Thanet council’s Conservation Officer says they do not consider the application site to be curtilage listed.
An online petition against the development has also been signed by 86 people.
Management Plan
However, a report to councillors on the planning committee says: “The concern of neighbours regarding the potential impacts to amenity from the operation of the RISE centre is noted.
“However, the operation of the premises, as set out in the Management Plan, is well thought out and ensures the impacts to neighbouring amenity is kept to a minimum.
“A condition is imposed to limit the number of overnight occupants (not including staff) to eight. This will ensure that the intensification of the use cannot occur without further permission from the Planning Department. This will allow the impact of any additional residents to be fully assessed.
“A condition is also imposed to require the submission of further information to assist with crime prevention, as requested by Kent Police. This will require details of boundary treatments, which will assist in site security and will ensure that the rear and side access points are secure. Details of CCTV and external lighting will also be provided as part of the condition, and details of any door and window limiters, to ensure that the premises cannot be unofficially entered or exited through windows.
“Comments about existing antisocial and illegal activities in the surrounding area are acknowledged, along with the potential impact this will have upon the operation of RISE from the application site, however with the aforementioned conditions in place, it is considered that the premises will be securely operated, with systems and procedures in place to limit the impact to the surrounding area and residents.”
The site will have a curfew in operation for clients who have a bedspace. If this curfew is broken, this will go down on their record. The report says the layout of the premises has been designed to incorporate a small waiting area within the entrance to the building, which should assist to avoid congregations outside the building; it will be staffed by two waking members of staff 24 hours a day, who will monitor the CCTV of the building and complete searches on clients and bedspaces.
Kent Police has advised measures including “gates to a rear/ side access must be securely lockable from both sides, “ CCTV at the main entrance doors, staff to carry personal attack alarms and lighting to cover entrances and the parking area.
If approved it is expected that RISE will move out of its current base at the former refuge site in Edgar Road, Cliftonville, where it has been since the latter part of 2023.
The site to be converted in Grosvenor Place is owned by the council and was previously occupied by the Probation Service, which had been located at the building since 1976.
The second phase of the scheme will be the conversion and refurbishment of the remainder of the building to provide 11 self-contained flats.
RISE service
RISE (Rough Sleeping, Intervention, Support & Empowerment) is funded by the government and is a multi-agency partnership between Thanet District Council, Forward Trust, Serveco, Department for Work and Pensions and Invicta Health CIC.
Its service helps those who find themselves rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping.
The conversion and refurbishment of the extension for the RISE service has an estimated cost of £580k which will be funded with a contribution of £318k from the government grant to the RISE service and £262k of General Fund borrowing, supported by the rent and housing benefit income from the eight rooms.
The cost for the total scheme is £2.8m. This includes a second phase for conversion and refurbishment of the remainder of the building to provide self-contained flats.
The report says: “The proposed development will bring a vacant building back into use and will provide a permanent home for a much needed facility in Thanet,” and councillors are advised to delegate the decision to officers for approval subject to safeguarding conditions.
The application will be discussed at a planning meeting on September 17.
Redevelopment
In June Thanet council Cabinet members gave the green light to plans for the conversion of a Cliftonville former refuge into 10 new council homes.
The council bought the property in 2023 for £1.6 million using the last tranche of funding from the Live Margate programme – a £23.1m project aimed at purchasing properties and converting them into homes.
The Edgar Road proposal will create six two-bedroom flats and four three-bedroom flats to be allocated to those on the Thanet housing register and/or isle families in temporary accommodation.
The forecast cost of the redevelopment is £2,788,274 inclusive of fees and expenses, with construction costs calculated as £2.49m.
Temporary accommodation
Last December Thanet council approved plans to build/buy circa 170 properties for temporary accommodation at a cost of £38.762m with the aim of ending the need to place households in accommodation outside of the district. Almost half of these have now been purchased or are in the pipeline.
Council-owned temporary accommodation includes Foy House in Margate, which opened in 2022, and properties bought such as a former guesthouse in Truro Road, Ramsgate; homes from developer Vistry at Westwood Point and seven three-bedroom properties and six flats in Margate Road, Ramsgate.
In the last year the number of households in temporary accommodation placed outside of Thanet has more than halved.
In September 2024 there were 318 individuals or families in temporary accommodation with 179 of those moved out of Thanet. But in July council leader Rick Everitt said this had reduced to 84 households placed outside of Thanet and a total of 256 in temporary accommodation.
There has been a 30% increase in the number of households accepted as homeless by TDC since 2020.
The cost of temporary accommodation has steadily increased in recent years, prompted by the shortage of affordable housing and the rising number of households finding themselves homeless. In 2023/24, the council’s general fund incurred a £1.2 million net overspend due to the costs of temporary accommodation.
This month it was revealed that Thanet council’s General Fund revenue budgets – used for day to day running of services apart from social housing – for 2024/25 had an overspend of £4.7 million.
Some £2.2 million of this was overspend in temporary accommodation.
Thanet council says the in-house temporary accommodation scheme will result in an immediate initial annual saving of £114,000 and more than £1,000,000 per year saved by year 10.
Homes are to be let at a social rent plus service charge rate and this is covered by the Local Housing Allowance for those on housing benefits.
Rent and service charges per week will range from £115.84 for a one bed to £159.57 for a three-bed.
If you or someone you know needs help with housing, contact:
Or call Thanet District Council’s housing team on: 01843 577277
The statements from council are daft, the people in that area aren’t worried about problems in the proposed centre itself rather the issues caused (by those that will use it and the hangers on they attract) in the surrounding area.
The current facility in edgar road does absolutely nothing about anything that goes on once their residents have gone out the door. So all the talk of security and locked gates to prevent issues at the proposed centre are just deflection away from the objections raised.
However the residents of Edgar Road and surrounds will cheerfully support the new place , whilst the Grosvenor Road and surrounds will do the absolute opposite. Having had to pressure wash away human faeces that were deposited on a wall of a property i work on , the sooner they are gone the better.
Shocking, I truly feel for the neighbours. I hope the councillors do the right thing and reject the planning application. If I was a councillor, I would ask one question of myself each time and application came before the committee “would I like to be a neighbour?”
That’s interesting Gérard. Why would you also not ask “What if I were homeless?”
Helen, would you, in all honesty, be perfectly OK with this next door to you and your family?
I’m guessing that’s a “No” then.
No one is saying there’s a problem with offering housing to those who are homeless, it’s the behaviour of those people that’s the problem and that the facility won’t allow them to drink or take drugs on the premises and so forces the consequences onto the local area.
Perhaps the question should be. “How would i behave , having been given a chance to improve my life”
All the measures in the article relate to protection of the staff and premises, nothing at all about the safety of those in the area and the issues that will blight it.
It’s not as if there is’nt plenty of experience with the previous facilities at The Broadway, Old British Legion, Edgar Road.
People that behave badly can hardly be upset if they are as a result not welcome.
Can’t help but feel sorry for the neighbours who will have to put up with this on their doorstep. I guess their wants and needs come secondary to the homeless.
There’s a post on facebok that seems to say that the councillors have passed the matter back to the planning officers to make a decision. Utter cowards choosing to shy away from making unpopular decisions if the post is correct.