A ‘DILAPIDATED’ former NHS care home in Verwood is to be converted into a homeless hostel, despite fears from residents and neighbouring school about the lack of control over who could live there.

East Dorset District Council’s planning committee agreed last Wednesday to grant permission for its own scheme which would see the conversion of the disused St Gabriel’s building in Ringwood Road.The decision was made despite claims from a resident about the “vague application” which he said was “fraught with many problems”.

Following councillors’ decision to grant planning permission, the council is to buy the disused care home building in Ringwood Road from Dorset HealthCare NHS trust.

The facility has been unoccupied for seven years.

Speaking at Wednesday’s planning committee meeting, neighbour Paul Eyres, said: “Contrary to reports from some of our town councillors, the latest report from the crime prevention officer for Dorset Police highlights the concerns of the vast majority of the residents of Verwood.

“This is not an act of NIMBYism, rather a response to a somewhat vague application deemed in its present state to be fraught with many problems, both for the potential residents as well as the established dwellers.”

Council planning officer, Naomi Shinkins, said that the issues raised were not ones which could be considered as part of the planning process and that they would need to be addressed in the hostel’s management.

“The background and character of those to be allocated temporary accommodation is not a matter for the planning system,” she said.

“Rather, the planning considerations relate to the intensity and type of activity associated with the development and the impact this has on neighbouring uses and amenity.

“In this instance, the council has a statutory duty to provide accommodation for anyone who meets the criteria for homelessness set out in the statute and the planning system cannot seek to control who those occupants might be if they meet these requirements.”

Concerns were echoed by councillors but the committee agreed to grant permission for the scheme on the basis that there were no planning reasons to dismiss the scheme.

Councillor Toni Coombs said: “There are two camps, the first is that if we have local families which are desperate for housing then absolutely it’s supported.

“But there is this overriding concern about safety and potential residents who could have greater difficulties coping with life for many reasons.

“I understand where we need to be in planning terms but as a local resident I have real difficulties with this because I’m being pulled in two directions.”