PLANS have been put forward to transform a residential home into a homeless hostel. Community Support Services at Denbighshire County Council have lodged a planning application to remodel Epworth Lodge, on Brighton Road, into the hostel; the grade II listed building will provide emergency accommodation for families and have a 24-hour staff presence to provide support and assist households to move to permanent, sustainable accommodation. Following the Covid-19 outbreak and the revised guidelines issued by Welsh Government in relation to the accommodation of rough sleepers and other vulnerable people, the Welsh Government have asked every local authority to submit a three stage recovery and renewal plan to address homelessness and housing related support.
Homeless man. Pixabay image, free to use without credit Denbighshire council’s homelessness prevention team has been told jobs could be cut and work outsourced, two weeks before Christmas. Staff were told on Wednesday morning that a consultation would be starting on the future of the 22 posts in the team. A Denbighshire council spokesman confirmed the proposal was to cut the group to 17 jobs but the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands staff will have to re-apply for many of the new roles. Of the five staff earmarked to go, the spokesman said “proposals are for some of the at risk posts to be transferred outside of the team into roles within the local authority”.