CONCERNS have been raised over those sleeping rough on the streets of Deeside.

At their monthly meeting, Connah’s Quay councillors received a letter from Neal Cockerton regarding the homeless shelter in Queensferry.

However, opinions were divided amongst councillors over whether the shelter has given all rough sleepers a place to stay.

Cllr Ian Dunbar said: “Fair play to Flintshire County Council they have done everything they can, by law you’ve got to look after homeless people, so they did good thing when they said they were going to open the centre.

“We’ve taken them off the streets of Connah’s Quay and Shotton where they were congregating outside the library which was upsetting a lot of residents.

“But I think the action that Flintshire Council has done is to be commended because it’s talked about now that other places are trying to open their own facilities to try get them off the streets.

“What it’s done for Connah’s Quay is a great thing because people were getting abused by these people.

“I know it’s a hard life to be living rough, there’s that many reasons why they are and to put them in a place that’s got showers, beds, food, it’s one of best things for them.”

However, Cllr Bernie Attridge said he failed to see what Cllr Dunbar was saying.

He told members that the only time the centre has been open, is when the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) was activated.

He added: “I’ve been inundated with calls from people when it was three degrees, four degrees. Look on social media at all the people still sleeping in Connah’s Quay because it isn’t open.

“I’ve made urgent recommendations literally begging Neal Cockerton to open it full time as soon as possible.

“If it’s not minus three or four then the place isn’t open because it had no planning permission. I received an email saying the planning permission has been secured on the property and they are hoping to open the property full-time within the next few weeks.

“When I was Cabinet Member, I said I was proud that we didn’t have to implement SWEP, we used to pick people up and put them in Bed and Breakfasts. All of a sudden now, there’s people on the streets.”

Cllr Attridge added that although the centre is ‘welcome’, it is ‘factually incorrect’ to say there are no rough sleepers on the streets.

Cllr Ian Dunbar said: “He may say what he’s saying, but we’ve had it off Neal Cockerton that the place had 12 in there. It’s taking a lot of people off the streets, it’s better than what it was before.

“We knew there was planning permission needed but they opened it because the weather dropped and they wanted to shift them, they have moved them.”

In his letter to members, Neal Cockerton, of Flintshire Council, said the facility has been opened three times to accommodate rough sleepers and it is being used when SWEP has been activated.

It read: “It is not correct to suggest that there is inaction on the part of the County Council, apparent or otherwise, and we have been working with North Wales Police and other agencies in a wider way to tackle rough sleeping in Flintshire.”

The letter went on to say that it is hoped the facility will be open in early February 2020, but until then, it will remain a SWEP facility.