Call for answers over Inverness hostel blunder

DEMANDS were made yesterday for a senior Highland councillor to answer questions over an administrative error which resulted in Inverness’s only hostel for women having to severely scale down its operations.

The Inverness Courier revealed that the Highland Homeless Trust had been forced to reduce its 12 women per night limit to just two at the hostel on Assynt Road because Highland Council failed to renew the licence required for it to operate legally.

Members of the Inverness city committee expressed their shock and disappointment at the situation yesterday but were told by officials that a new licence was expected to be issued by the end of this week.

They were also told that a report before them would kick start a consultation process on the future use of the hostel.

The information angered Councillor John Finnie (Inverness Ness-side), leader of the SNP, who asked whether it was coincidental that failure to re-apply for the HMO licence coincided with a move to review homeless provision at the hostel.

He called on Councillor Margaret Davidson (Aird and Loch Ness), chairwoman of the authority’s housing and social work committee, to clarify matters and asked for reassurance that the outcome of the consultation would not be pre-empted in any way.

In response Councillor Davidson said the lapse in licence and review of services were entirely “unrelated” issues.

She said the review of service had only been discussed on an informal basis but now needed to be taken forward.

Councillor Donnie Kerr (Inverness Central) urged that the hostel did not end up as another Huntly House fiasco, which has lain empty for well over a year since the council decided to close it down.

He said there was a great need for hostel accommodation in Inverness and added that continuing to put homeless people up in bed and breakfasts without the necessary support would only serve to worsen the current situation.