PLANS have been submitted to create 20 bedrooms for Emmanuel House Support Centre that will provide short-term emergency accommodation for people who find themselves homeless in Nottingham.
Emmanuel House works to combat vulnerability and homelessness within the community through an inclusive and compassionate service for people who need help. This sees its team working with people in crisis to prevent them from becoming homeless and sharing the journey of recovery out of homelessness into settlement.
Its £2 million ‘New Vision’ scheme will provide two floors of bedrooms along with ensuite facilities, food and 24-hour support provided by the charity’s team of trained specialists. The planning application submitted to Nottingham City Council is for change of use for the first and second floors of its existing Goose Gate premises, which currently house office and storage space.
The ‘New Vision’ plans also include one-to-one meeting spaces, 24-hour security, common rooms, computer suites, consultation spaces and rooms with disabled access. The charity’s vision will see its day and night support services come together on a single site, with a second phase of work earmarked to upgrade the current ground floor support centre.
Denis Tully, CEO of Emmanuel House
Denis Tully, CEO of Emmanuel House, said: “Our ambition is to reduce the number of people who are homeless in Nottingham city for the benefit of individual people, the neighbourhood and for the City of Nottingham as a whole. The project fits with the city’s strategic plan to tackle homelessness. It will make a significant contribution to year-round emergency respite care.
“We have a new vision for Emmanuel House and for Nottingham’s provision to support some of its most vulnerable people. Our purpose as an organisation is to tackle isolation, vulnerability and homelessness within our community. This project is an extension of this mission.”
The project team is made up of suppliers operating from Nottingham city centre, including architects CPMG Architects, project managers EDGE, structural and civil engineers Hexa, and mechanical and electrical engineers Chord Consult.
Nick Gregory, director at CPMG Architects, the organisation leading on the submission of plans, said: “I knew that Emmanuel House was an incredible organisation, but as we’ve worked with them, my admiration for their compassion and commitment to helping those in need of support has grown – they are an inspiration. I am extremely proud that we can assist in bringing these proposals forward – the impact they have will be considerable”.
Geoff Tindsley, director at EDGE, said: “Emmanuel House makes such a difference to people in the Nottingham area, and this new accommodation offering will enhance its service further, so we’re incredibly proud to have a role in supporting this. We’re working closely alongside the Trustees to help the organisation enhance its vital services even further, and we look forward to seeing the vision become a reality.”
The ‘New Vision’ model of single-room accommodation and 24-hour support comes from the new ambition after Covid-19 to improve provision for people who are homeless. In 2021, Emmanuel House struggled to find a building in Nottingham in which to put its historic Winter Shelter and has been looking to find a solution within its own resources.
James Garment, director at Hexa, said: “While all the project partners involved in this scheme have national capability, we all have a major presence here in Nottingham, so it’s a privilege to be collaborating on a scheme for such an important organisation like Emmanuel House. The work the team does is critical in supporting people who find themselves homeless – and this refurbishment will only enhance the team’s incredible work even further.”
Valued at £2 million, if approved the project aims to commence building work as soon as funding is available.
To keep up to date with the ‘New Vision’ project, please sign up to the Emmanuel House mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dx3ERz
