Social housing flats to be occupied soon

EMPTY social housing flats, which have sparked anger in Stalham, will be reoccupied in the spring, according to North Norfolk District Council.

The eight Circle Anglia Housing Group units, at Railway Mews, are being redeveloped and will be used for especially-vulnerable people.

Stalham resident Catherine Williams voiced her concern about the homes, which were used as temporary accommodation, after noticing that they were not being re-occupied after families moved out.

Ms Williams said she moved to Stalham to be near a friend and her daughter who were given a temporary home at Railway Mews in July 2006 and had been very happy there among other families in the flats.

'How sad to see that for the last year and a half no other families have had the same benefit as the people I made friends with and my dear friend and her daughter,' she said.

'What a waste of public monies - perfectly good houses standing idle whilst there is enormous need for good quality affordable rented housing!'

Karen Hill, the district's strategic housing manager, said the homes had been built in 2005 for use as temporary accommodation for households accepted by the council as homeless until permanent housing could be found.

The government now required local councils to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 50pc by 2010.

'As a result the council has been looking at alternative uses for such accommodation,' said Ms Hill. 'The people who lived at the properties at Railway Mews have all moved into permanent accommodation, with the last household moving out in November.

'The scheme is now undergoing some minor modifications and refurbishment before being brought back into use as a supported housing scheme for especially-vulnerable people in housing need, who will be able to live at the scheme for up to two years. It is hoped that the scheme will be reoccupied by April.'