Talks take place to shut down homeless shelter
By Bristol City Council is in talks to close an emergency homeless shelter near Temple Meads station, after it emerged a resident lay dead inside without anyone noticing.
The story broadcast last night on the BBC Inside Out West programme revealed a member of staff’s failure to carry out an inspection had allowed the body to go undiscovered, in 2007, from a Thursday night until the following Saturday morning.
The run-down Victoria Street site has been managed by English Churches Housing Group (ECHG) for the last eight years.
Concerns over its fire safety have been raised – which ECHG say they have dealt with – as well as the length of time residents have been allowed to stay.
The maximum stay is about six months, but the BBC team found that one resident had been allowed to remain for more than two years.
Bristol City Council has said that the site was only ever a temporary measure and discussions were taking place to close the facility.
The location of the hostel is home to the former Grosvenor Hotel and George Railway pub – once fashionable locations for visitors to the city.
But as the railways declined and car travel began to pick up, the site became surrounded by busy roads which put off potential guests.
From the 1970s the hotel and pub were in decline and after plans to turn the buildings into offices fell through. For the last 20 years, the site has been home to bed and breakfast accommodation for the homeless.
For the full story, visit the BBC web page here.
Your Comments