14 Jan 2025
Rough sleepers have moved into dangerous and derelict garages in London Colney to escape freezing temperatures, raising further questions about the long-term future of the site.
Four homeless people are now living in one of SADC’s neglected garage blocks on Alexandra Road/Five Acres, and although both local councillors and the police have offered them support, it has thrust the issue of what to do with the buildings back into the spotlight.
Cllr Mike Hobday said: “Years of chronic neglect of council garage sites in London Colney are a magnet for anti-social behaviour, and this is just the latest tragic example.
“It’s appalling that there is no support available for deeply vulnerable people sleeping in a council garage when temperatures are below zero. The police have attended regularly to keep an eye on the situation, but the district council has been slow to act over the Christmas / New Year period.
“My fellow Labour councillor Emma Turnbull and I will be raising this failure – and the long years of neglect to the site – at the next council housing committee on January 20.”
Mike has also contacted homeless support charity Open Door, and received the following response: “We have no power to move people on all we can do is encourage them to accept the help available but not everyone makes the choice to accept help for lots of different reasons.
“Sometimes people have also behaved in a way that means that the help is not always available to them for a period of time. However, we always work with people to the best of our ability and to encourage them to make better choices.”
A recent report to SADC’s housing and inclusion committee highlighted how only 51 per cent of all of the council’s 1,287 garage spaces – which cover more than 100 different locations – was currently being rented out.
The council has been considering whether sites should be retained, refurbished, redeveloped, or disposed of as part of its housing strategy for 2023-2026, and a large number have subsequently been included in the district’s draft Local Plan.
SADC assistant director (housing) Simon Smith, responded to the reports surrounding Five Acres: “We are aware of concerns about rough sleepers using derelict garages in London Colney as a base.
“Our outreach workers have been and continue to be in regular contact with them to offer help and we are also working closely with the police.
“The rough sleepers have been made aware of the support that is available from us as well as other public agencies and charities.
“This includes the Open Door night shelter which runs programmes, including courses in life skills, that give people the chance to turn their lives around with the prospect of a permanent home of their own.
“Not everyone takes up these opportunities and we will continue to monitor and hold conversations with those who don’t.
“Our intention is to secure this garage site once the rough sleepers have moved on, fence it off and consider options for the future.
“We will do this in consultation with ward councillors and other stakeholders.
“This action forms part of a garage strategy we have in place which includes a survey of garage sites across the whole district.
“Many of these garages are no longer suitable for modern cars and have fallen into disrepair.
“Among the options being considered are developing some of the sites for housing and repairing garages in high-demand areas that have the potential to be let.”
