Closed care home in Clevedon to be used to house refugees

A former care home in Clevedon which is being converted into housing is set to be offered to refugees.

Housing firm Lindley Investments is converting Arrigadeen Nursing Home into a housing block big enough to house 21 people.

The property - which is between Cambridge Road and Edward Road - had been in the same family since the 1980s, providing care and accommodation to the elderly.

But when the business became unviable and the final care home resident moved out, it was sold at auction to Lindley Investments. It had a guide price of £900,000.

When applying to convert it into a house of multiple occupation, Lindley Investments initially said the property was "likely to attract a younger occupier who may not be able to afford to buy in the area".

It has since revealed the property will be used to house refugees.

It comes after 43,800 people signed up to the UK government's Homes for Ukraine scheme in the first five hours after its launch.

North Somerset MP Liam Fox and 150 others objected to the conversion of the former care home.

Some objectors said they feared the living conditions for residents would be poor and raised concerns about antisocial behaviour and parking problems.

In response, Lindley Investments said the property will be tenanted and managed by a professional and experienced management company.

"They have a contract with the Home Office for the supply of accommodation for asylum seekers who are desperately in need of support at this time," Lindley Investments added.

"This property will be used to house asylum seekers who are young single females and small families with young children who are seeking refuge.

"They are seeking asylum, refuge and a new start."

The company said the people will be provided with "safe" and "high-quality" accommodation in a quiet area where they can seek jobs and apply for visas.

"It would be lovely to think the community could support them," the firm added.

The building firm also said fears the property would be rented out in a poor condition “could not be further from the truth”.

It added: "There are plenty of landlords who would provide the most basic and rudimentary levels of accommodation and seek to maximise profits at their tenants’ expense but that is not the intention here and never will be."

Recommending approval, council planning officers said housing vulnerable refugees was unlikely to cause disruption and they would have acceptable living conditions.

Planning and regulatory committee members will consider the application when they meet on March 21.

Credit: Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporter