CHESHIRE West and Chester Council spent £56,827 providing bed and breakfast accommodation for 244 homeless people last year – or £232 per person.

And campaigners against council proposals for a 36-bed hostel at Richmond Court at Boughton fear those costs will rise under the new homeless services contract awarded to Chester & District Housing Trust and Forum Housing.

They point out the new regime aims to reduce the council bill from £1.2m to £850,000, partly by cutting the number of beds from 112 to 88.

Local people will be prioritised by providing permanent homes and jobs and the firms will ‘repatriate’ homeless people from outside the area.

Leading campaigner Karen Stevenson commented on the figures supplied in response to a Chronicle Freedom of Information request.

She said: “Unfortunately these figures only evidence what many of the Boughton and Hoole residents have been expressing concerns about since this decision was announced by the council.

“The new provision at Richmond Court will only have 36 en-suite rooms which will inevitably lead to even more tax payer funds being spent on emergency B&B accommodation to bridge the gap.

“At an average figure of £232.90 per person that is surely bad business sense? This is yet another example proving that this decision is a bad decision.”

The FOI response shows homeless people provided with emergency B&B accommodation included rough sleepers, those fleeing threats of violence, residents affected by floods and households with children.

Among the Chester premises used are the two city centre Travelodges, Premier Inn in City Road, Chester and Holiday Inn by the racecourse

Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said the new service will focus much more closely on preventing homelessness – through early intervention, signposting to relevant organisations and better provision.

She added: “The new supported housing contract should ultimately help to reduce B&B costs as single homeless people will receive an improved support service and support to access longer-term sustainable accommodation.”