EMERGENCY accommodation in Flint that has been used to house serious offenders awaiting trial will be closed after Flintshire Councillors backed a notice of motion.
North Wales Police, the Probation Service and other key bodies will also be summoned to a briefing to discuss how offenders awaiting trial with nowhere to live can be suitably housed away from urban centres in future.
The five county councillors representing Flint – Cllr Ian Roberts, Cllr Michelle Perfect, Cllr Mel Buckley, Cllr Vicky Perfect and Cllr Paul Cunningham all backed a motion calling for the closure of the flats on Church Street.
The property – which this year has already housed two serious sexual offenders as they awaited trial – has not been named as it is primarily used as emergency accommodation for vulnerable homeless people.
Flint Cllr Michelle Perfect said that people in Flint were fearful.
“Many residents have expressed concerns regarding some of those housed in Church Street, who have been found to have committed crimes of a serious nature, including paedophilia and rape,” she said.
“This has left our community afraid to go out in the evening and wondering who is walking around our town.”
Currently offenders with nowhere to live must be provided with emergency housing as any other homeless resident would be. According to Flintshire’s housing department they undergo risk assessments with other relevant bodies – including the Prison Service, Probation Service and North Wales Police.
But Buckley Mountain Cllr Carol Ellis asked why a property housing vulnerable homeless people was also home to those accused of serious crimes.
“There are vulnerable people there,” she said. “Surely residents living their daily lives should not be at risk?
“There should be risk assessments in place to ensure that other people living their day-to-day life – like the elderly going to the chemist for instance – are safe.
“Members need consultation because we are the point of contact for people and we may be unaware of these accommodations.”
Some councillors were concerned the motion would simply push the issue into another community – but were assured that alternative solutions would not simply move the problem to another town.
Members unanimously supported the closure of the flats, adding in an urgent briefing to be held with councillors, officers and representatives from key services including the Probation Service, the Courts Service and North Wales Police to find a longer-term alternative plan for offender housing.
Chief Officer for Housing Vicky Clarke said that it would take time to arrange the closure of the property.
“We are establishing a task and finish group to lead on an exit strategy for those flats in Church Street,” she said.
“We need to extract the council from the formal lease arrangements and we then need to develop move-on plans and identify alternative accommodation for those individuals currently living there.
“All residents placed in homeless accommodation by the council are owed a statutory duty under the Housing Act Wales. Where a resident does present with complex needs or potential risks we do work with a wide range of partners to try and manage those risks.
“If we place an individual in a property where they are under the Probation Service a risk assessment is required from the service to decide whether the property and the area is suitable. North Wales Police are always informed for monitoring purposes.
“There were no issues with these individuals while they were accommodated in those properties.”
