Old housing block to be turned into accommodation for people sleeping rough - after years of delay

Long-delayed work to convert a former housing block in Plaistow into accommodation for people sleeping rough could finally begin in February next year.

Newham Council is to convert Lady Helen Seymour House in Florence Road into a centre housing up to 42 people, at a cost of more than £8 million.

Council plans say the centre will be a place where “rough sleepers can feel safe and work towards gaining independent living skills by focusing on their recovery and developing purpose and belonging in the community”.

Work to refurbish the building begins in February and the centre could be ready in December 2026, according to a provisional timetable included in council plans.

These plans state that state that the centre will offer “accommodation for rough sleepers directly from the street” with 42 beds.

It will also provide other support including “wrap-around health care and support” from GPs as well as substance misuse and mental health services.

There will be an internal “step down facility” when occupants are “able to live more independently prior to their next move into longer-term accommodation.”

The council first approved plans to buy and convert the five-storey Victorian building into a centre for those sleeping rough in April 2021, but the project was delayed due to funding issues.

Newham Council originally expected to receive £3.5 million in funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) but according to council documents this “did not materialise in the way envisaged”.

The documents added that the estimated cost of refurbishment works had increased by £2.4 million due to inflation.

The plans were eventually revived in January 2024 after the council secured new grant funding of £6.7 million from the GLA and the government.

The council will now contribute £3.5 million towards the project’s budget through borrowing, and £500,000 from its carbon offset fund.

This is a fund that developers in the borough pay into if they do not meet their carbon offset targets.

Council plans state the borrowing will be financed through rental income from from the property. This means the council will not have to pay to service the debt from its revenue budget for day-to-day spending.

Plans also forecast that the council expects to receive £2.7m in revenue funding towards running the centre once it is completed.

Council officers formally agreed on Wednesday 27 August to award Buxton Construction Ltd the contract to carry out the refurbishment.

Council plans show that the work will cost some £8.2 million – within the approved budget. However, final cost proposals will be submitted in December after detailed design and early works are carried out.