Rhyl homeless accommodation plans scrapped as future of site confirmed

Denbighshire County Council had proposed for the site, at Maes Emlyn, to be a short-term solution in its attempts to rehome displaces residents.

But following a public meeting on the plans, held at Rhyl Youth Centre on July 3, the council has decided not to pursue the plans.

Instead, all buildings at the site will be demolished and redeveloped to create a “mixed development of new council housing for permanent homes”.

A letter was sent to residents today (August 1) from Cllr Jason McLellan, council leader and lead member for economic growth and tackling deprivation; and Cllr Rhys Thomas, lead member for housing and communities.

Maes Emlyn (Image: GoogleMaps)

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Tempers flare at public meeting over plan to accommodate homeless in Rhyl

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Extracts from the letter, which was shown to the Journal, read: “We have carefully considered the points and questions that were raised both at the meeting and subsequently. 

“Further to your feedback, and following meetings with officers where we have explored alternative options, we have decided that the proposal for temporary emergency homeless accommodation at Maes Emlyn is no longer the best option to pursue. 

“Instead, we have instructed officers to start the process for demolishing all buildings on site and redevelop the whole site to create, as soon as possible, a mixed development of new council housing for permanent homes.”

The pre-planning consultation for this development will be published in autumn.

Initial plans at Maes Emlyn were part of a wider scheme to provide temporary emergency accommodation in the medium-term.

This is with a view to allowing the council to move away from the use of hotels and bed and breakfasts to house homeless people within the town.

The letter added: “Our longer-term plan was always to cease the temporary housing of homeless people at Maes Emlyn and redevelop the whole site for council housing, whilst developing more social housing across the county to better meet demand. 

“We will continue to pursue a programme of new developments across the county to that end. 

“We will also continue our strategy of focussing on early intervention and prevention of homelessness in the first place, through to supporting those residents who become homeless. 

“Officers will be working with the Salvation Army and other partners to affect this.”

A total of “24 single units” were proposed for the site, that would have catered for homeless people aged between 18 and 55 with a range of high and medium needs.

But at last month’s meeting, residents, voiced concerns that Maes Emlyn was “not the right location” for the scheme and was “not fit for purpose”.

The council admitted the building was coming to the end of its life and “five years could be squeezed out."

There were also concerns about anti-social behaviour, drugs, homes going down in value as a result of the development and whether the "freed-up" B&Bs and hotels would be used by other local authorities to house homeless people.

Attendees had also bemoaned the lack of notice given for the event - the Journal was only informed of the meeting on Thursday, June 29; four days before the meeting.