Bridgwater former bed and breakfast hotel to house homeless

A former bed-and-breakfast hotel is set to house homeless people in one-bedroom accommodation.

Plans have been approved for homelessness charity Arc to convert the former Tower House at Wembdon Hill in Bridgwater.

Councillors have backed converting the building into an eight-bedroom house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Sedgemoor District Council approved the plans on 26 September.

Tower House is opposite the junction with Provident Place, next to the north entrance to Westover Green Community School.

The property will be refurbished, with four of the eight bedrooms being en-suite and the kitchen and dining room used for communal space.

Sarah Stillwell, the council's housing and service manager, said the facility would help to meet high demand for one-bedroom accommodation in Bridgwater and reduce homelessness across the district.

She said: "52 per cent of our housing register is people seeking one-bedroom accommodation. There is a shortfall of over 1,000 such properties."

Chief executive Andy Price, said he wanted to reassure local residents everything would be done to keep anti-social behaviour and other problems to an "absolute minimum".

Mr Price said: "We have an extensive track record of working with people who otherwise might be sleeping on the stree,t to turn their life around and move on to more permanent accommodation.

"This is not emergency accommodation - there will not be a high turnover [of people].

"Anticipated stays will be six, 12 or 18 months. "Tower House will be well-staffed by skilled, experienced support and pathway workers.

"All the people housed there will be local people - they are living in the community, though some may be sleeping in shop doorways or parks."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]