Watford garage site could be redeveloped to house ex-rough sleepers

Councillors will be asked to approve funding to redevelop the Balmoral Road Garage site in North Watford in a cabinet meeting on Monday (June 7).

The proposal suggests that 15 one-bedroom homes could be built at the site to accommodate ex-rough sleepers who were assisted through Watford’s Single Homeless Pathway.

There would also be 11 parking spaces implemented, and should the site no longer be needed for ex-rough sleepers, the homes could be used for single people on low incomes.

According to the proposal report, the full development cost would be £4,030,730.

It is stated that £2,588,667 could be funded through a Home England bid for the Rough Sleeping Accommodation programme, while One YMCA could fund just over £1million and Watford Borough Council could fund £291,000.

The proposed site has been vacant since 2017, with garages already demolished, and the report says that without its implementation there could be higher hospital admissions and it could cost the community around £156,780.

The garages at Balmoral Road are now disused (Photo: Street View)

If approved at the cabinet meeting, it is estimated that the planning application and agreements could be made by September 25, with the construction and handover by December 26, 2022.

As it stands, there are currently 300 bed spaces to help with supported accommodation for rough sleepers and other vulnerable groups in Watford.

There are also 34 similar units being built at One YMCA’s Charter House.

Recently, Watford Borough Council received £581,817 from the government to help support rough sleepers and Mayor Peter Taylor stated that it will help fund One YMCA, New Hope and other local organisations.

When asked where the money will specifically go towards, a spokesperson from Watford Borough Council has revealed it will also fund an outreach service of five workers and 25 emergency accommodation bed spaces for one night of sleep, and the continuation of the council’s rough sleeper co-ordinator post.

There has been active work in Watford to accommodate and support rough sleepers, particularly since the wake of the pandemic.

But recently Watford’s New Hope has issued a warning that they are expecting evictions to rise after a ban ended this month.