WYLFA STAFF HOUSING FEAR
Council chiefs say influx could cause homelessness crisis:
POSITIVE relationships must be forged with private landlords in a bid to avoid a housing crisis when thousands of nuclear workers descend upon Anglesey.
That was the message of housing chiefs in response to concerns that the expected influx could see a rise in homelesness across the island.
Horizon Nuclear Power is hoping to build a £12 billion reactor at Cemaes, near the former Magnox plant at Wylfa.
If the company gains the necessary licenses and secures the funding, the first workers are expected on site as early as 2020.
But a meeting of the authority’s Partnership and Regeneration Committee on Tuesday heard concerns that the development could cause homelessness on the island.
This is not the first time such concerns have been raised, with a council report published in March 2018 highlighting measures that must be taken to mitigate the issue.
In a bid to protect its social housing stock, the authority has already scrapped “right to buy”, also endeavouring to increase the number of council houses by 500 over the next 30 years, in addition to the 3,800 it currently owns and manages.
Horizon, meanwhile, anticipates that of the expected 9,000 construction staff, approximately 2,000 will depend on the local rental market – remaining confident there’s sufficient capacity.
But council officers are fearful of the impact on the sector where there are fewer controls over what landlords can demand in rent.
While a recent spot check found that there were only “one or two” rough sleepers on the island, since April the authority’s homeless service has helped 441 people.
But according to one Plaid Cymru councillor, the service could be “inundated” if residents are “squeezed out” of the existing private rental sector in favour of well paid specialist construction workers to build the nuclear plant.
Cllr Alun Roberts, said: “What I think will happen is that this will drive up prices meaning that locals won’t be able to compete which could increase the island’s homeless issues.
“It’s unfortunate is that we can’t measure the extent of the potential problem as we don’t have any clarity over the figures involved.”
In response Elliw Llyr, the authority’s Housing Policy, Commissioning and Strategy Manager, said: “Certainly there will be an effect, we’ve contributed extensively to the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.
“As we see it, the biggest risk is within the private sector.”
A spokesman for Horizon, said: “The current estimates of available accommodation show there is sufficient capacity to cope with this extra demand.
“This will be managed through an accommodation management service to make sure all registered properties meet the required standards as well as ensuring current tenants aren’t displaced.”