Plans for Brighton homeless village revealed

11:56am Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News By Kimberly Middleton, Acting chief reporter

Plans for Brighton homeless village revealed Plans for Brighton homeless village revealed

BRIGHTON and Hove’s homeless could be housed in shipping containers by the summer.

A planning application to put 36 converted containers on a site was submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday.

If the application is agreed they would be installed for up to five years next to the Cobbler’s Thumb pub in New England Road.

The plot, known as Richardson’s Yard, is currently used as a car park.

Plans filed to the council propose two blocks of the containers, three and five storeys high, with gardens and solar panels on the roofs.

The joint scheme by Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) and local developers QED is aimed at easing the city’s acute housing shortage.

It is hoped they will be used as a temporary place to live for people as they search for somewhere permanent to call home.

Innovation

Ross Gilbert, from QED, said: “This scheme would put Brighton and Hove at the forefront of innovation, alongside Amsterdam and Bremen, in providing imaginative and high quality temporary use.

“We have undertaken consultation and discussion with potential residents, the local community, community leaders and the local council prior to our submission.

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“We are hoping for a decision in April, which would lead to having the units ready for occupation by the summer.”

BHT chief executive Andy Winter said: “This is a typically Brighton idea, a solution to deal with a local problem. The reaction we have had has been almost universally positive.

“The original concept has been developed and enhanced by some great suggestions people have made. I have always said that what really excites me about this opportunity is that land that might otherwise lie idle for five years will be brought back into life.”

Using shipping containers for homes is common in Amsterdam, where they form student flats, accommodation for the Salvation Army and a hotel.

View the application on the planning section of Brighton and Hove City Council’s website, reference number BH2013/00245.

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Comments(33)

gusset snatcher says...
12:14pm Tue 5 Feb 13

This should never be allowed. It's sited in an area with the highest pollution levels in Sussex, surrounded by tall and industrial buildings, railway lines and bridges. The area is also blighted by junkies. The units themselves may be ok in a good location but added to everything else this will turn into a bleak and depressing place to live. If this is allowed then Caroline Lucas and the rest of the loony greens should have to live there for 6 months.

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Cave Johnson says...
12:33pm Tue 5 Feb 13

I hope they gate it and only let the residents in. Otherwise it will soon become junkie haven.

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menowhere says...
12:41pm Tue 5 Feb 13

what a great idea :D

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Hove Actually says...
12:44pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Good that's 36 people who will not be homeless and therefore paying council tax etc etc or not...............

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Reporter1 says...
1:38pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Should brighten up and improve the area!

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censored says...
1:53pm Tue 5 Feb 13

What a forward-thinking idea, provided people aren't just dumped there and it really is a temporary solution.

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Vigilia says...
2:05pm Tue 5 Feb 13

"BHT chief executive Andy Winter said: “This is a typically Brighton idea, a solution to deal with a local problem."

In London there is Trinity Buoy Wharf, a collection of old waterside buildings, in the centre of which is Container City. This consists of two multicoloured stacks of shipping containers, piled up four storeys high, and accommodating some 70 people.

And before that shipping containers were used for housing in New York, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Holland, Germany and all points West.

How in Heaven's name is it a "typical Brighton idea."

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Charismatic Andrew says...
2:07pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Without seeing the details I don't have strong opinions on whether this is a good idea or not, but I guarantee 2 things;

Firstly - you can be sure that there has been nowhere near as much 'consultation' as the article suggests.

Secondly - if this goes ahead it won't just be there for 5 years, it will be there indefinitely.

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rolivan says...
2:29pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Why not sell off this valuable piece of land and build these somewhere on the outskirts of the City like Horsedean.How much is it going to cost per unit to maintain these over the 5 years and what is going to happen to them after.

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rolivan says...
2:30pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Why not sell off this valuable piece of land and build these somewhere on the outskirts of the City like Horsedean.How much is it going to cost per unit to maintain these over the 5 years and what is going to happen to them after.

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deanaprior says...
2:34pm Tue 5 Feb 13

The ones in Amsterdam look OK better than some of the new build apartment blocks around Brighton and as its only 5 years why not?
If you think of all the derelict land such as Black Rock why not use it for temporary housing?

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lorrie1 says...
4:20pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Should fit in well around that area. considering all the new flats along new england rd and by sainsburys look like there made out of cardboard.

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salty_pete says...
4:43pm Tue 5 Feb 13

I can remember sleeping in a shipping container converted into accommodation on an offshore platform back in the late seventies. It's not a new idea and could really help with the homeless problem in Brighton & Hove.

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PorkBoat says...
10:09pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Unbelievable. People being housed in shipping containers in 21st century Britain, and it's hailed as A Very Good Thing. Just step back and see the big picture. They Are Planning To House People In Shipping Containers In 21st Century Britain. And this is "progress"?

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tamwilks1 says...
2:42am Wed 6 Feb 13

at least it gets people of the streets, should be more of them.

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Angryoldman says...
7:35am Wed 6 Feb 13

They will fill up instantly and there will still be homeless on the streets.
It will be a crime ridden ghetto.

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Chaffinch1 says...
7:39am Wed 6 Feb 13

Yes, typical Brighton project in so far as they've taken an exciting and innovative concept and then made it look as boring and utilitarian as possible.

What a shame they haven't the vision to build something as interesting as Trinity Buoy Wharf or other international projects.

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Juleyanne says...
9:09am Wed 6 Feb 13

What exactly does gussetsnacher propose to do to tackle to growing homeless problem? It seems that certain people have no regard for the welfare of other humans. I assume she is ok with those in vulnerable situations to sleep rough in all weather conditions! Not every homeless person is a junkie or alcoholic. There are many other reasons people can find themselves without a roof. Marriage breakdown, job loss due to the economic downturn or illness mental or physical, inability to find a guarantor or large deposit, 2/3 months rent upfront and agency fee which these days often means you cannot secure accommodation unless you have approximately £2000 available. Of course there are junkies and problem drinkers too. it is however, inaccurate and wrong to stereotype everyone who may have hit 'hard times' and this facility will give them the restart they so desperately need to kick start their lives again. Have a heart!

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gusset snatcher says...
11:21am Wed 6 Feb 13

Juleyanne
It's you who should get your facts right and see this for what it is..... someone's going to make money out of this development with a 'housing for the homeless' tag slapped on it.
Everyone has the right to live in as pleasant an environment as possible, with decent facilities and an infrastructure that supports them. I'm stating facts about the area, it is currently a scrap metal merchants store and lorry park and that is an entirely suitable use for it. Do you realise the impact this will have on the business that is using it and employs people locally?

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Grocko says...
3:06pm Wed 6 Feb 13

This could go either way – if it's done how Amsterdam has it done things – it could be really good... but unfortunately we're British and for whatever reason we currently seem to absolutely relish making the poor, the vulnerable, the disabled suffer as much as possible to appease the readers of the Daily Mail and Telegraph and to save lots of money to give to bankers, which they can then use to pay their fines when they've been caught breaking the law... so with that in mind forgive my pessimism. I hope to be proved wrong.

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gheese77 says...
4:45pm Wed 6 Feb 13

I remember talking to an old tramp in London who told me, when I said I was from Brighton, that the police used to round up all the tramps in Brighton put them in a van and dump them outside of town. In my opinion we should still be doing this. Instead we will encourage dossers from all over the country to come down here for free accomodation. I am not a completely heartless fiend though, I do not advocate this approach for local people, this sort of scheme sounds idea for them

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imnotpc says...
11:01pm Wed 6 Feb 13

I wonder if anything will ever get done for normal people,you know descent hardworking people.No lets give everything for free to thieving alcoholic scumbags...Unreal

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Juleyanne says...
11:54pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Oh please gussetsnacher, the New England Road area in question is not exactly a prestigous area, sorry but it is not! Whether people will make money from the container ship apartments project is a flimsy answer. Had you thought that others will get employment from this too. It is rather clear that you personally feel that what you consider
is all lowlife will pollute an area you yourself stated is already a druggie area. A classic case of 'not in my backyard'. You continually dismiss the fact that the temporary tenants planned for this development are not all druggie, hopeless cases, many just need a place to say whilst they rebuild their lives after a crisis, job loss, relationship breakdown. I really dont think they will be given out to people not shown to be keen to change their lives. They indicate they will cherry pick those who would most benefit from a temporary base to rebuild their lives. Lighten up!

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Juleyanne says...
12:13am Thu 7 Feb 13

If you look further into the prospective tenants planned for this development. The are apparently planning to offer accommodation to the many 'working' people who are having to 'live in their cars and vans' due to either low basic wages or/and relationship breakup, or a whole host of other reasons. I heard only this week of a man, recently split from his partner who was forced to sleep in his vehicle at the company car park and this is not an isolated case.
So with this in mind, some should not be so quick to make judgement on others.

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Zeta Function says...
2:05am Thu 7 Feb 13

Unemployment is UP right across Europe, full time jobs are disappearing, replaced by low paid part time jobs that have to be subsidised by benefits and tax credits.

Rents are so high the housing benefit bill is soaring.

Instead of investment in housing, economic growth and collective social security we have no growth, a mean welfare system whose privatisation is making profits for the rich, a massive shortage of decent homes. Add inflation to this stew, the council tax payments the excluded will be forced to pay, and you get a poisonous mix that will cause a great deal of human suffering.

The shipping containers are a disgusting quick fix capitalist solution. People want jobs, wages that pay bills without having to be topped up by credits, homes where rents don't take 70% of income, social insurance that provides social security. A health service that doesn't kill people off.

I can't see people putting up with further pauperisation and impoverishment, and being forced to live -not in proper homes- but boxes designed to transport commodities across the oceans!

It's time to dump the drugs, dump the drink, dump the games, sink the ship of fools that's the government and get organise.

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gusset snatcher says...
8:45am Thu 7 Feb 13

Juleyanne
I've seen illegal immigrants living in tents by Brighton Marina. The government's answer to these is to put them in the detention centre near Crawley and ship them back to where they come from. I think it's about time Brighton did something about becoming a magnet to every social outcast far and wide, and started spending it's resources on the people that are actually paying council tax out of their own pockets. And while you're at it, take your do-gooding self back to wherever you come from, because I bet you're not a Brightonian.

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Juleyanne says...
9:38am Thu 7 Feb 13

Sorry to disappoint you, but I have lived in and around Brighton for my entire life and anyway gusset, it is absolutely non of your business where I choose to live, have lived and might decide to live in the future! You seem to spend an awful lot of your time making inaccurate assumptions about everyone who disagrees with you or might not 'fit' into your narrow way of thinking. The fact is, there are people out there who need somewhere to live and need it now. You can stereotype all you like, but the problem will not 'just go away' nor will the need of the people involved, just because it doesn't suit you!

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gusset snatcher says...
10:22am Thu 7 Feb 13

Juleyanne, sorry to disappoint u but i was once homeless and penniless as well at the age of 17. I used to sleep in the tram shelter outside the Jolly Brewer and covered myself in newspapers to keep warm. Once I slept in the phone box opposite as the tram shelter was locked. I would often frequent the launderette down Grantham Road as a place to keep warm till I found an unused shed in the allotments near the Jewish cemetery. I went to the dole office to try and get money but they just fobbed me off to return home, which was impossible so I sustained my existence by unscrewing parking meters from their poles then breaking them open for the money inside. No one offered me a crumb of comfort and I used to live off my wits, taking pints of milk off doorsteps and the odd loaf of breador carton of orange juice.
This soon motivated me to get any type of work and it was only a matter of a few weeks before I'd got together enough money for a bedsit in Hove. Yes I got off my **** and worked. So before u start banding your trendy stereotype badges to make yourself sound clever tell me the last time you were homeless.

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Hovite says...
11:51am Thu 7 Feb 13

g snatcher, I wouldn't offer you a crumb of comfort, your not known for your empathy and it obviously reflects back to you in your life. Get what you deserve in your case.

Always knew you were a bitter loser.

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Kawasaki998 says...
12:20pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I dont believe that it will only be for 5 years. Our High Rise was only for 20 years but now they are 46 years old and dilapitated.Council doing them up but a huge waste of money. Bathroom 46 years old and no chance of a new one because we have a new kitchen

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Zeta Function says...
3:24pm Thu 7 Feb 13

What will they be charging tenants for Council Tax, water rates, heating, etc, in these containers?

Will the rents be set at market rates? Or covered by housing benefit?

All these costs are rising, rapidly. Low wages + any credits will not cover the costs.

How much for slum clearance, when they find the sewers lack capacity?

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Juleyanne says...
11:47am Fri 8 Feb 13

Well, Gusset, you should know more than most the difficulties facing those without a roof. You indicate no one helped you at that time but yourself and well done for that. However, it rather comes over that you resent those who might be offered a little help to kickstart their lives on the basis that you were denied any help yourself at the time! That is indeed unfortunate, but not a particularly sound reason in itself not to help others in crisis back on their feet
by way of a temporary roof, it seems a case of 'sour grapes'! Please stop trying to score points, this is not a personal battle of wills. This is not about you or me, it is a real life situation for others in dire straits.

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gusset snatcher says...
6:50pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Juleyanne
If you're too conceited to read over the legitimate reasons I don't agree with this development so be it. You are the 1 who makes assumptions i.e I'm a she. I'm indifferent to the plight of the homeless, am looking to score points and am full of contempt for others, none of which is correct. Also, I don't know this area, the one I've lived my whole life in. Well I'll make some assumptions about u.
1. You think you're the Oracle, or a know all in simple terms
2. If someone dumps on u u think that's ok, it's not their fault, it's societies.
3, You are a cat lover and don't know how to properly house train them because you don't realise that sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, so your abode smells of cat's p*** and fish that u cook them.
Finally, do you realise that in Africa they've realised that the guilt ridden money from charities isn't well spent just giving it to the impoverished as they then just expect to do nothing but hold their hands out for the next handout. So they try to encourage them to manage their own communities and sort their problems out in an effective way.
Oh... and 1 final assumption.. you're an oh so trendy and slum-creating greeny

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