Homeless hotel worries discussed at packed meeting

Steps taken to address concerns about the use of a hotel as emergency accommodation for homeless people were discussed at a packed public meeting.

Local people have claimed Breckland Council's use of the privately owned NR19 hotel in Dereham, Norfolk has caused a surge in crime.

The council ruled out shutting the hotel, prompting angry jeers from among the 250 people at Wednesday's meeting, which was also attended by police.

"The authorities have promised better communication and concrete steps; we now expect them to listen to the community taskforce and deliver on these promises to make our town centre safe again," said resident and meeting organiser Ian Milligan.

The Grade II listed venue, previously the Hill House Hotel, has been used for emergency housing for more than a decade but problems appear to have escalated, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The meeting heard from a group of women who said they left their office "in a collective" because they were concerned about their personal safety.

Others claimed individuals housed at the hotel gathered outside to drink, take drugs and intimidate passers-by.

Council representatives confirmed it used the hotel to house single males, including ex-offenders, and so did not use it for families or victims of sexual abuse.

It acknowledged other councils may do this, and said three of the local authorities it had written to in Norfolk and Suffolk had agreed to its request to cease using NR19.

Breckland had also assembled a taskforce aimed at pulling the district's agencies together to work out how to tackle behaviour issues associated with the hotel.

Area police commander Insp Simon Jones told the meeting officers had spent 115 hours patrolling the town last month and crime had fallen by 8% since April 2024.

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