A new homeless village in Rutherglen has been given the green light by South Lanarkshire Council.
Councillors sitting on Tuesday’s meeting of the local authority’s planning committee granted planning permission for the supported temporary accommodation project.
The joint venture between the local authority’s Housing Services department and the charity Social Bite will see 16 prefabricated pods and a community hub erected in the town’s Harriet Street.
The sustainable modular homes known as Nest Houses, and include a unit for staff will be manufactured by Scottish PropTech company Ecosystems Technologies.
The site was previously home to Westfield Saw Mills but has been lying empty for around seven years.
Each pod contains a bedroom, shower room, kitchen and a lounge space.
The community hub will have cooking, welfare and laundry facilities and will provide a central area where residents can meet.
Permission was granted on the same day that Scottish Government figures revealed the number of homeless cases in Scotland have risen to record levels.
Chair of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “I’m delighted that this has been agreed today as it will help the delivery of the council’s homelessness strategy.
“Social Bite have a proven track record of delivering similar projects and we look forward to working in partnership with them.
“The site has been designed to ensure that it will integrate with its wider surroundings, is sustainable and can provide a range of services.
“It was great to see that the project received the unanimous backing of the Planning Committee as well as the Housing and Technical Resources Committee.”
Social Bite is a leading homelessness charity known for its ground breaking efforts to combat the issue. It based the proposals for the Rutherglen site on a model it has been operating at a site in Edinburgh for the last seven years.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “It’s brilliant to see this project move forward with the approval of planning permission from South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee.
“At Social Bite, we believe that everyone deserves a safe and supportive place to call home, and this new development in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council represents an important step toward achieving that vision.
“It was revealed today that Scottish homelessness is at its highest in 10 years and we are proud to be part of the solution which is not just needed but completely essential. By creating high-quality, self-contained living spaces with integrated support services, we are providing a vital resource to help people on their journey from homelessness to independent living and breaking the cycle of homelessness.
“We have seen first-hand from our Edinburgh Village the huge impact these make on those living in them, and we’re excited to build on this success and help make lasting change in the fight to end homelessness in Scotland.
“A massive thank you to all our partners and supporters for their help in making this happen.”
There were 55 objections to the proposals, which included concerns over pedestrian and road safety, loss of property value for residents living nearby, and antisocial behaviour.
The village is due to begin construction in early 2025 with plans for completion by the summer. At the end of their time at the village, residents will be supported in transitioning to permanent accommodation and employment.
Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey welcomed the decision but voiced concerns over the way the consultation process was conducted and will be meeting with council leader Joe Fagan next week to discuss that.
She said: “We have to do more to tackle homelessness and I think the village model is a good idea for doing so.
“I was grateful to meet with Social Bite to discuss their plans, learn more about how it could benefit local people, and hear feedback regarding their homeless village in Edinburgh.
“However, I have been concerned with the way South Lanarkshire Council have handled the consultation process.
“A significant number of people have contacted me saying they were unaware of Social Bite’s application or the council’s public meeting.
“Additionally, local residents were initially told by the council that they would only accept comments through their online planning portal, potentially meaning many could not participate in the planning process, but the council later revised this saying they’d accept comments by post too.”
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