Plan for ‘overnight homeless pods’ at Sunderland Salvation Army site

Sunderland City Council has submitted an application to its own planning department for the Salvation Army Swan Lodge Lifehouse in High Street East.

The building is used to provide a safe and supportive environment for people experiencing homelessness and offers a range of facilities and services.

Sunderland City Council’s cabinet of senior councillors recently agreed plans for a new ‘homeless support hub’ at the Wearside site, working with the Salvation Army.

This included a new multi-service access hub creating regular opportunities that homeless people can access on a drop-in basis, including health and mental health-related services, housing advice and support.

New plans revealed this month are seeking permission for four “overnight homeless pods”, or “micro-flats”, for temporary emergency use on a paved outdoor area at the charity’s Sunderland base.

According to planning documents, the modular buildings are referred to as ‘NAPpads’ and aim to provide “safe refuge and sleeping accommodation for homeless people”.

It was noted that the development is part of the Salvation Army’s “wider commitment to a harm reduction strategy and [to] give people who cannot live in traditional services a bed, individual handwash facilities and the opportunity to access specialist support”.

A design and access statement submitted with the planning application notes the development would provide “additional emergency sleeping accommodation in a safe environment that gives people dignity, private space and their own facilities”.

The plans are “intended to be a partnership between Sunderland City Council (SCC) and the Salvation Army (TSA), with SCC providing funding and referrals and TSA providing day to day management”.

Council documents confirm the accommodation would be provided for up to four “vulnerable people” and that “support will be provided to the residents to enable them to live safely in the scheme and gain skills to allow them to move on to living to more appropriate accommodation”.

It is anticipated that occupants would remain in the scheme for “short intervals” and are expected to be “enabled to move on within a period of less than four weeks”.

Those behind the scheme added support and staffing would be provided by the Salvation Army and that a nominated support worker from the existing staff team would be responsible for direct support to the NAPpads.

In addition, the Salvation Army states it would “manage any challenging behaviour and ensure that an individual’s support plan is in place, which will also address nonengagement with support to ensure appropriate outcomes.”

Access to the NAPpads would be controlled by “new secure pedestrian gates complete with coded keypad entry”, according to planning documents.

The council and the charity also state they would work to “create a positive impact and ensure the smooth transition of the scheme into the locality”.

The design and access statement adds: “The NAPpad will be used to provide an alternative form of accommodation for those individuals who may not thrive in the busy environment of the main service and will also provide an improved service for those people who may need shelter in severe weather. (Severe weather provision is provided in the main building when temperatures are very low, very high – or there are severe rains, winds or storms.)

“The COVID-19 pandemic emphasised the need, not just for a safer alternative to the street; but also, for a safer alternative to dormitory style night shelters and to traditional ‘sit up’ and Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) services.

“The pilot NAPpad is very high specification; warm, safe and private – and embodies the values that TSA places on people who may otherwise end up sleeping rough.

“The accommodation will comprise of 4nos. lighted and heated micro-flats, each with their own toilet, handwashing facilities, a bed and will be fully equipped with signs of life technology (monitored from the main Swan Lodge Lifehouse building)”.

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of September 13, 2024.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/01434/LP3