Latest news with #HomelessProjectScotland
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
'No evidence': charity appeals decision in bid to keep shelter open
A charity helping homeless people has launched an appeal against the refusal of planning permission that could force it to close its night shelter. Homeless Project Scotland said the complaints depend on claims there has been a 'deterioration in local amenity and an alleged rise in anti-social behaviour'. In its appeal, the charity said there is no evidence to back up the claims linking the shelter to the harms cited. READ NEXT:'Frightened' homeless Glasgow teenager put in hostel dorm 'full of men' The Shelter has been operating in Glassford Street since December 2023 with a free food service in the evenings. Local residents and nearby businesses have said the shelter has led to more anti-social behaviour and said the queues outside before it opens are detrimental to the character of the area. The charity in its submission states: 'Allegations of disorder, intimidation, and criminality are generalised in tone and speculative in content, often lacking dates, photographs, or incident reports.' It also said it is significant that the police have not objected to the shelter. The charity states it believes it has been refused permission on 'the basis of perception, prejudice, and an unevidenced fear of crime'. READ NEXT:Mother and new baby turned up at homeless shelter needing help It states: 'This omission carries substantial evidential and legal weight. In planning terms, the views of police are often determinative when objections relate to crime, public safety, or anti-social behaviour. It adds that a named police officer confirmed there is no causal link between the shelter and crime trends in the area. The ongoing wrangle has developed since the charity moved into the premises and operated without planning permission. The council issued orders to close with a deadline to comply but the charity, in the meantime, applied for permission which was subsequently refused. Homeless Project Scotland has now exercised its right to appeal the decision allowing it to continue operation until the process is exhausted. The basis of its appeal is that the shelter is an essential part of the solution, not the cause of a persistent problem in Glasgow city centre. The appeal states: 'These are long-standing urban challenges, rooted in structural factors such as economic deprivation, housing undersupply, public health inequalities, and mental illness. 'The shelter is not a source of the problem; it is an emergency intervention designed to alleviate its most dangerous manifestations.' The organisation said that without the shelter, many people would be out on the streets overnight. It said: 'The benefits of the night shelter are not speculative, they are verifiable and substantial.' It added: 'The shelter's operation is consistent with the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan, supports Glasgow City Council's statutory duties under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: 'An appeal has been received in respect of this application and it will be considered by the Planning Local Review Committee in due course. 'It would be inappropriate to comment further while this appeal is in place.'
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Charity appeals ruling in bid to keep homeless shelter open
Homeless Project Scotland said the complaints depend on claims there has been a 'deterioration in local amenity and an alleged rise in anti-social behaviour'. In its appeal, the charity said there is no evidence to back up the claims linking the shelter to the harms cited. READ NEXT:'Frightened' homeless Glasgow teenager put in hostel dorm 'full of men' The Shelter has been operating in Glassford Street since December 2023 with a free food service in the evenings. Local residents and nearby businesses have said the shelter has led to more anti-social behaviour and said the queues outside before it opens are detrimental to the character of the area. The charity in its submission states: 'Allegations of disorder, intimidation, and criminality are generalised in tone and speculative in content, often lacking dates, photographs, or incident reports.' It also said it is significant that the police have not objected to the shelter. The charity states it believes it has been refused permission on 'the basis of perception, prejudice, and an unevidenced fear of crime'. READ NEXT:Mother and new baby turned up at homeless shelter needing help It states: 'This omission carries substantial evidential and legal weight. In planning terms, the views of police are often determinative when objections relate to crime, public safety, or anti-social behaviour. It adds that a named police officer confirmed there is no causal link between the shelter and crime trends in the area. The ongoing wrangle has developed since the charity moved into the premises and operated without planning permission. The council issued orders to close with a deadline to comply but the charity, in the meantime, applied for permission which was subsequently refused. Homeless Project Scotland has now exercised its right to appeal the decision allowing it to continue operation until the process is exhausted. The basis of its appeal is that the shelter is an essential part of the solution, not the cause of a persistent problem in Glasgow city centre. The appeal states: 'These are long-standing urban challenges, rooted in structural factors such as economic deprivation, housing undersupply, public health inequalities, and mental illness. 'The shelter is not a source of the problem; it is an emergency intervention designed to alleviate its most dangerous manifestations.' The organisation said that without the shelter, many people would be out on the streets overnight. It said: 'The benefits of the night shelter are not speculative, they are verifiable and substantial.' It added: 'The shelter's operation is consistent with the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan, supports Glasgow City Council's statutory duties under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: 'An appeal has been received in respect of this application and it will be considered by the Planning Local Review Committee in due course. 'It would be inappropriate to comment further while this appeal is in place.'
Daily Record
30-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Family with baby 'left to sleep on street' due to Glasgow council phone outage
Homeless Project Scotland believes if they had not been there, then the woman would have been "forced to walk the streets of Glasgow all night" with her young children. A mum and her two children were left to " sleep on the streets" as she could not get in touch with Glasgow City Council for help during their phone blackout. The mum-of-two was forced to take her family to a homeless shelter after being removed from a temporary accommodation. She arrived with her children at Homeless Project Scotland's night shelter on Glassford Street at around 9.30pm on Monday, July 28. The team were shocked to see she was in the company of her six-year-old daughter and seven-month-old baby, reports Glasgow Live. Founder of the charity, Colin McInnes, believes if the volunteer-run shelter had not been there, the woman would have been "forced to walk the streets of Glasgow all night". Glasgow City Council's phone lines were down on Monday evening, meaning she could not get in touch for help. Once volunteers managed to make communication with the council, the woman and her two children were safely picked up and placed back in temporary accommodation at around 12.30am, Colin confirmed. He says the incident came after the council's Health and Social Care team failed to inform the hotel that the family required an extended stay, leaving her on the streets of Glasgow. Posting on X, Homeless Project Scotland wrote: "Glasgow City Council phone lines were down. No support was available. If our volunteer-run shelter didn't exist, this newborn and their mum would have been sleeping on the streets of Glasgow. "This is the harsh reality. This is why we fight to keep our shelter open. Because when the system fails, we step in." A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We regret there was a period of time last night when the public could not make contact with council services. Alternative contact details were communicated, and the issue was resolved promptly.' Glasgow City Council warned locals that its telephone systems were down yesterday as Community Alarm calls were going unanswered. The City Council's Community Alarm telecare service enables people with disabilities, health problems and elderly people to summon assistance in an emergency. Users wear a pendant with an emergency button that allows calls to be made from anywhere in the home to 24-hour call handlers who can then call relatives, police or the fire brigade to assist. Call handlers could see the calls coming in but could not answer them, the council said, with all incoming calls affected. The council said it would contact family members and send responders out to check on the well-being of Community Alarm users. In a statement shared to social media, the council said: 'Please note our telephone systems are down. All incoming calls to council services are affected. 'Our alarm receiving centre can see calls coming in but can't answer them. This includes calls from service users with a Community Alarm – we will make contact with family members and will send responders out to check on their well-being. 'The Glasgow and Partners Emergency Social Work Services are contacting all relevant partners to provide alternative details for any urgent social work needs. Further updates to follow.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Yahoo
Mother and new baby turned up at homeless shelter needing help
A mother with her months-old baby had to seek help at a charity-run homeless shelter in Glasgow this week. The young woman with another child and a baby in a pram turned up at the Homeless Project Scotland shelter in Merchant City. She turned to the charity for help after the council's phonelines were down and spent two hours at the shelter. After the charity managed to make contact with homeless services, the family was found accommodation after midnight. The council confirmed the woman and her children were found somewhere to stay and she is engaged with children's and family services. The incident comes after the Glasgow Times reported a 19 year-old woman was put in a hostel dorm 'full of men' when she presented as homeless. READ NEXT:Homeless Glasgow teenager put in hostel dorm 'full of men' Our End the Homeless Hotel shame campaign has been highlighting the plight of people forced to live in hotels and B&Bs in the city as the housing emergency in Glasgow deepens. The Homeless Project Scotland charity is currently involved in a legal wrangle over planning permission. The council has served notice on it to shut down as it is operating without planning permission for people to stay overnight in the basement, which has been turned into a shelter and food service area. People come to the centre and volunteers try to get the council to find them accommodation. If they are unable to be helped that night, then the charity has space for 33 people a night which is usually reached. On Monday at 10.30pm, the woman presented at the shelter with her children, one in a pram, just months old. It is unclear where the baby was born or how she became homeless. READ NEXT:End the Homeless Hotel Shame The charity said that at around half past midnight, after a period of support at the shelter, she was found accommodation. Homeless Project Scotland said without the shelter, she would have been on the streets that night. It stated: 'This mother and her baby had nowhere else to go. 'Glasgow City Council phone lines were down and no support was available. 'If our volunteer-run shelter didn't exist, this newborn and their mum would have been sleeping on the streets of Glasgow. 'This is the harsh reality. 'This is why we fight to keep our shelter open. 'Because when the system fails, we step in.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: 'We regret there was a period of time last night when the public could not make contact with council services. 'Alternative contact details were communicated, and the issue was resolved promptly.'
Glasgow Times
29-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Mother and baby turned up at homeless shelter in Glasgow
The young woman turned up at the Homeless Project Scotland shelter in Merchant City with another child and a baby in her pram. She turned to the charity for help after the council's phonelines were down and spent two hours at the shelter. After the charity managed to make contact with homeless services, the family was found accommodation after midnight. The council confirmed the woman and her children were found somewhere to stay, and she is engaged with children's and family services. The incident comes after the Glasgow Times reported a 19-year-old woman was put in a hostel dorm 'full of men' when she presented as homeless. READ NEXT:Homeless Glasgow teenager put in hostel dorm 'full of men' Our End the Homeless Hotel shame campaign has been highlighting the plight of people forced to live in hotels and B&Bs in the city as the housing emergency in Glasgow deepens. The Homeless Project Scotland charity is currently involved in a legal wrangle over planning permission. The council has served notice on it to shut down as it is operating without planning permission for people to stay overnight in the basement, which has been turned into a shelter and food service area. People come to the centre and volunteers try to get the council to find them accommodation. If they are unable to be helped that night, then the charity has space for 33 people a night which is usually reached. On Monday at 10.30pm, the woman presented at the shelter with her children, one in a pram, just months old. It is unclear where the baby was born or how she became homeless. READ NEXT:End the Homeless Hotel Shame The charity said that at around half past midnight, after a period of support at the shelter, she was found accommodation. Homeless Project Scotland said without the shelter, she would have been on the streets that night. It stated: 'This mother and her baby had nowhere else to go. 'Glasgow City Council phone lines were down and no support was available. 'If our volunteer-run shelter didn't exist, this newborn and their mum would have been sleeping on the streets of Glasgow. 'This is the harsh reality. 'This is why we fight to keep our shelter open. 'Because when the system fails, we step in.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: 'We regret there was a period of time last night when the public could not make contact with council services. 'Alternative contact details were communicated, and the issue was resolved promptly.'
