Two blocks of upcoming Northampton social housing could be used as 'temporary accommodation for homeless'

Two empty office blocks in Northampton that are earmarked to be renovated into 60 social-housing flats each could be used by the council as temporary accommodation for homeless people.

Northampton Borough Council is in the process of acquiring both Beaumont House on Billing Road and Riverside House on Bedford Road for £10m.

Planning papers have been submitted to redevelop both blocks into 60 social housing flats each, which would be operated by Northampton Partnership Homes.

Now, the leader of the borough council says both of the developments could be used as accommodation for the town's homeless.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn spoke about the two plans during a conference about Northampton Forward's "masterplan" for the town on June 26.

He said: "The great thing about these two plans is that while the coronavirus has had a great impact on the town during lockdown we have been able to make progress on these plans when many other projects have been dormant.

"It's certainly a great opportunity for some comfortable and well-located apartments.

"Both will provide 60 apartment units each, and it's possible we will be able to use them for temporary accommodation to help the homeless."

The purchase of both blocks is to be funded through the council's Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme.

Riverside House is also expected to have 127 parking spaces, of which 90 will be designated for the tenants in the apartments and the remainder will be designated for a dialysis clinic that currently operates on the ground floor.

It comes as plans are also underway to create an additional 40 social housing flats at NPH's Woodstock and Dover Court buildings by constructing new floors on top of both of them.