'Housing homeless in university block is a success'

A scheme to place homeless residents in a former university accommodation block had been a success, a councillor who initially opposed the plan said.

The Tannery in Shrewsbury town centre is one of four converted housing units that saved cash-strapped Shropshire Council about £1.4m in hotel and B&B costs in the last financial year.

The initiative also led to a significant decline in the number of households in such temporary accommodation, from 106 in 2023-24 to about 25 in the last financial year.

The authority's Liberal Democrat deputy leader Alex Wagner said there had not been the rise in anti-social behaviour or crime that some residents had expected.

Plans to convert The Tannery on Barker Street into 60 ensuite rooms were approved by the previous Conservative-run administration in 2024 in hope of lowering its temporary accommodation costs.

Tenants moved into the former University Centre Shrewsbury site at the start of 2025.

Wagner, who had previously described moving vulnerable residents into The Tannery as "a recipe for disaster" due to its proximity to pubs and bars has admitted that he was wrong.

"The story is how few complaints we've received compared to what I and many others at the time frankly feared could have a real impact on our town centre.

"Absolutely I was wrong. And I'm sure people aren't used to hearing politicians say that.

"But having onsite support, rather than having people in bed and breakfasts, in woefully inadequate accommodation for their needs... I think it's had such a positive impact on the outcomes for those individuals."

Housing support workers are on site at The Tannery 24 hours a day, as well as tenants having access to employment specialists.

The four-storey building is the largest of the temporary accommodation blocks, with two others situated in Shrewsbury, in Coton Hill and Castle Foregate, and one in Bridgnorth.

According to the council, the combined cost of operating the schemes was about £249,000 in 2025-26.

By comparison, housing 100 applicants in hotel and B&B accommodation over the same period would have cost £1.66m.

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