Old Gosport care home could be transformed into hostel for rough sleepers as plans submitted to council
A former care home could soon be transformed into a hostel for a town’s rough sleepers.
Planning documents have been submitted to Gosport Borough Council for a 13-bed hostel on the site of a house of multiple occupancy (HMO), which had been used as a care home prior to its closure.
The building, at 57-59 Bury Road, is on the corner with Foster Road, just 200m up the road from Thorngate Hall and Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
Gosport Borough Council has submitted the application itself, in a bid to meet the housing needs of rough sleepers in the town. The application is for a change of use to a hostel, although major renovations are planned for inside too.
There is already one en-suite per bedroom, but adjustments will be made to turn some of them into wet rooms; a shared kitchen, laundry, lounge and dining area will be drawn up; and a bike/mobility scooter storage and a smoking shelter would be installed in the back garden.
The council’s housing board chairwoman, Cllr Sue Ballard, has already committed her support to the plans.
She said: “At present, due to the shortage of suitable temporary accommodation within the borough, Gosport households are regularly placed in emergency accommodation outside the district. This causes disruption to schooling, employment and access to healthcare and support services, and often prolongs homelessness rather than resolving it.
“The application directly addresses this by enabling the council to discharge its statutory housing and safeguarding duties locally. Retaining households within their established support networks - including schools, GPs, treatment providers, family support and employment - materially improves engagement with services and increases the likelihood of a successful move into settled accommodation.
“The proposal supports vulnerable Gosport residents, strengthens safeguarding, reduces repeat homelessness presentations, and allows the council to meet its statutory duties responsibly.”
A spokesperson for the Gosport Society said: “[We need to] assess that the “new door and side panel” do not clash with the character of the building nor impact on the ascetics of the conservation area. The site plan does not include detail of how the claimed eight parking spaces are laid out nor give any idea of manoeuvring accessibility.
“The Gosport Society has no objection in principal to the changes proposed in this application however it does suggest that the planning officer addresses the shortcomings identified, and that even the minor external changes proposed do not impact on the Bury Road conservation area.”