Peterborough building society granted permission to create hostel for Ukrainian refugees above its branch

An application for a temporary change of use of the branch’s upper floors to house Ukrainian refugees was permitted on August 11.
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Leeds Building Society, which has a branch at 2 Queen Street in Peterborough city centre, has been granted permission to create a hostel for Ukrainian refugees in the upper floors of its building.

The building society sought permission to temporarily change the use of its upper floors to provide a hostel for Ukrainian refugees on May 19 this year.

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The application was approved by Peterborough City Council on August 11.

Leeds Building Society, in Queen Street, Peterborough, granted permission to create a hostel for up to 14 Ukrainian refugees in the upper floors of its branchLeeds Building Society, in Queen Street, Peterborough, granted permission to create a hostel for up to 14 Ukrainian refugees in the upper floors of its branch
Leeds Building Society, in Queen Street, Peterborough, granted permission to create a hostel for up to 14 Ukrainian refugees in the upper floors of its branch

The upper floors of the building had been vacant for at least 15 years and were last in use as barristers’ chambers.

The approved plans mean the building society hopes to expand an area to the northwest of the first floor to create a communal living area, seven bedrooms; shared bathrooms, a kitchen, dining areas and an office.

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Peterborough building society applies to create hostel for Ukraine refugees abov...

A Leeds Building Society spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be able to play our part and help support the plight of the Ukrainian refugees who have had to flee their war-stricken country.

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“As a society we raised over £100,000 towards relief efforts in both Ukraine and the UK, whilst in Peterborough, work is ongoing to redevelop vacant office space above the society’s city centre branch.

“This will be used as emergency accommodation for refugees in a scheme which has been a widely-supported and collaborative effort with local businesses and stakeholders.”

The hostel will house between seven and 14 people.

It will be managed by Hyde Housing – one of the UKs leading providers of safe accommodation.

Tenants will be decided by The Peterborough Asylum and Refugee Community (PARCA).

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PARCA will seek to ensure that refugees, asylum seekers, and disadvantaged and migrant communities are provided with the support and services they require to live a high quality of life, and allow them to contribute to Peterborough’s community.

In March, the council unanimously passed a motion acknowledging the situation in Ukraine and the authority pledged to offer whatever support it could.

A taskforce was established and committed to housing 200 refugees.

As of August 2, 205 visas had been issued for refugees staying with hosts in Peterborough – 137 of which had arrived in the UK as of the day before.