'Funding constraints' behind delay to flats

A PROJECT to convert a Plymouth city centre building into temporary accommodation for the homeless took a back seat for a year because other externally funded schemes were on tighter time constraints, a meeting has heard.

- By ALISON STEPHENSON

The Royal Building in Plymouth city centre

(WILLIAM TELFORD)

When the city council bought the Royal Building for £5 million last October there was an urgent need for temporary flats because no-one was investing in them, according to the council's cabinet member for housing, Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront).

Since then external funding of £9 million has come forward and 180 homes for those in the greatest need are in the process of being built or are in the pipeline.

It may mean that original plans for the Royal Building could change. The councillor told a meeting of the authority's housing and community services scrutiny panel that several things had happened to change the landscape of temporary housing provision in Plymouth.

He was responding to a question from Cllr Jon Dingle (Lab, St Budeaux) who asked what was the latest on the Royal Building.