Building in Sudbury transformed to provide emergency accommodation for vulnerable people during coronavirus pandemic

A site in Sudbury has been transformed to provide emergency accommodation for people deemed vulnerable during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Lees, in Newton Road, underwent a rapid refurbishment to enable seven households to move into newly revamped units this week.

With the help of local firms, Babergh District Council carried out the project in the space of five days, after the Government instructed that all rough sleepers across the country must be housed quickly by local authorities during the crisis.

Praising the collective efforts of all the individuals involved in the scheme, Jan Osborne, Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This property has only recently been returned to the council and the housing and building services teams have done an amazing job.

“It is testimony to how council staff and local businesses have worked together, during a time when we are facing so many challenges, in being able to complete this project in just five days.”

Emergency funding provided by the Government enabled the council to refurbish the site earlier than scheduled.

Cllr Osborne added: “It’s excellent to now be able to offer somewhere safe for people sleeping rough, staying in night shelters or assessment hubs, who didn’t have a secure home or somewhere safe to self-isolate if required.”