Local Tory MP lends his support to accommodation for homeless 

More social housing, not less, is needed as unemployment, repossessions and the need to accommodate migrant workers pushes local people out of private rented market

Malcolm Moss, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, has highlighted the need for more social housing in Fenland after the rejection of a planning proposal in Wisbech for accommodation for homeless people two weeks ago.

The proposal by Luminus Housing Association to convert the former Queens Hotel in Wisbech into accommodation for homeless people had already secured a total of £900,000 in funding from both central Government and Fenland District Council when the project was rejected by the Council’s Planning Committee.

The project has had adequate consultation having been in the public domain from the beginning of the year, with a number of opportunities for the public to comment on the matter. An exhibition showing the proposed plans was held at the Boathouse in Wisbech in April, attracting 18 members of the public. The comments from the local people who attended were overwhelmingly supportive of the project.

Rising unemployment and repossessions have seen an increase in the number of people in need of social housing. In addition, local people in Fenland often find themselves pushed out of the private rented market as rent levels have soared in recent years as a result of the influx of migrant workers seeking accommodation.

Malcolm Moss, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said:

“I am supportive of more accommodation for homeless people who, often through no fault of their own, find themselves in need of help to get back up on their feet.

As I know only too well from the many people who visit my surgeries there are thousands of people on the housing waiting list and with rising unemployment and repossessions it is set to increase even further. With this in mind, and since the project has already secured both Council and Government funding, we need to ask ourselves whether refusing it really is the right thing to do.

In any event, given the historic use of the site one would question whether this is a contentious planning matter at all? I can see no planning grounds to reject the proposal on appeal.

I do of course recognise that this is a sensitive issue which has divided opinion both among local people and local Councillors. However we need to keep in mind that people will be bound by tenancy agreements like everyone else. If they misbehave, they’ll be shown the door. The possibility of losing their tenancy will lead most people to adhere to reasonable behaviour.”

Mr Moss added: “This would not be the first time the Queens Hotel site would have been used to meet social housing needs. It was used to house difficult children for some years and I visited the facility at the children’s request. There were never any problems or complaints from the local community that I was aware of.

The proposal by Luminus would have been another use of the facilities to help people in need, and I would like to point out that the project received very positive feedback from the public at the Boathouse exhibition.

We need more, not less, accommodation for people and families who are in need of it, and I will be calling on the Government to provide additional funding for more social housing across the board.”