Former pub in Leighton Buzzard to become temporary housing for vulnerable people

Temporary housing for vulnerable people but “not a night shelter” is being provided by a local authority on a former pub site in Leighton Buzzard, a meeting heard.

Applicant Central Bedfordshire Council revised its full plans to convert The Ashwell Arms into a nine-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) for transitional accommodation, with shared living facilities.

A previous application for a change of use of the vacant premises in Ashwell Street was granted in 2020, with parts of the building now demolished and foundations dug, according to a report to CBC’s development management committee.

Senior planning officer Lauren Rance explained: “This proposes minor changes to the back extensions, including moving one by 14 Ashwell Street further away from the shared boundary.

“A management plan has been submitted by CBC. The scheme is for temporary housing for the homeless assessed as low risk, but not ready for permanent accommodation because of a lack of life skills, experience or confidence.”

Independent Leighton Linslade West councillor Victoria Harvey referred to residents’ concerns about ‘the potential increased risk of drug-taking and anti-social behaviour’ locally, as well as ‘people parking on The Wood’, which is a private road.

“It’s not a transient population because these people will end up living in Leighton Buzzard,” she said. “There’s a difficult history around this with a previous contractor used by CBC, but work has gone in to do this better.

“It’s low risk people whose lives have fallen apart through a job loss or family fallout or who’ve experienced domestic abuse and are being helped to rebuild their lives. This is an absolutely wonderful facility.”

CBC’s head of housing initiatives Charlotte Gurney said: “The Ashwell Gateway will be used for supportive transitional accommodation for local people in the Leighton Buzzard area.

“It won’t be a night shelter or accommodation which provides clinical support. This is for single people not yet ready to manage their own tenancy. It creates a home for up to nine people.

“The residents are risk assessed to ensure it suits their needs and those of the local area. The services provided there are to the protect vulnerable individuals from outside influences, while they develop life skills.

“This is often young people from troubled homes, care leavers, those fleeing violence or even some at risk from cuckooing. It’s not for rough sleepers.

“There’s no other accommodation of this type available in the town currently. An individual will live there for up to two years. We teach them cooking, money management, help them get back into employment and how to find a new home.

“We run a number of supportive schemes in Central Bedfordshire, and it’s a tested model which achieves good outcomes for vulnerable residents.

“A member of staff would be on duty during regular office hours,” she added. “There’s an out of hours service so people can be contacted in the evening and at the weekend, if there’s any issue.”

Councillors approved the development, with nine votes in favour and one abstention.