Council leaders slam 'lack of consultation' as residential areas 'hit with hundreds of bail hostels'

Hundreds of bail hostels for criminals are being foisted on residential areas without any consultation, councils have said.

The private firm ClearSprings has opened around 160 hostels this year, but local authorities claim they are given little or no say in where they are located.

This is despite a promise by a Government minister that councils would be consulted, in line with the company's statutory duty. The hostels ease prison overcrowding by giving a bed to those who would otherwise be kept in jail because they had nowhere sustainable to live.

The failure to consult means the homes  -  for offenders released early or people on bail awaiting trial  -  are being set up under a 'veil of secrecy', said the Local Government Association.

Councillor Hazel Harding, chair of the LGA's safer communities board, said the hostels were important but local residents needed to be kept informed.

'There has been a shocking lack of consultation with local authorities and disregard for the wishes of local people,' she said. 'Some councillors are quite understandably furious they have not been adequately consulted on what is happening in their area.

'It's pure folly to dump this kind of accommodation into the middle of a residential street without properly asking for the council's views. The failure to consult genuinely with councils gives the unfortunate impression that they are established under a veil of secrecy.'

Two months ago, Justice Minister David Hanson told MPs: 'ClearSprings has a contractual duty to ensure it consults with local councils, the police and the probation services before entering into an agreement on specific properties in the areas in which it proposes them.'

But Councillor Harding said this simply wasn't happening.

'The LGA is seeking an assurance that councils will not be overlooked and bypassed in this way in the future,' she said.

'Local authorities need to be properly consulted and must have a real say about how much accommodation there is to be in their area and where it is to go.'

A spokesman for ClearSprings said: 'We have always sought to work in partnership with other agencies and local government representatives.

'We have been trying to get a meeting with the LGA since May to discuss our scheme and have also written to all chief executives to reiterate our keenness to work together.'

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: 'ClearSprings is under contract to provide rented accommodation to those leaving prison who do not have their own home. ClearSprings is a landlord like any other. The firm does not need to consult with members of the public before renting out a private property.

'However, the terms of their contract demand that they fully consult the police and local authorities about the location of the properties they rent.

'In the wake of concerns expressed by some local authorities the Government has reminded ClearSprings of the importance of fulfilling this obligation. The Government is now confident ClearSprings is meeting its obligations to consult.'