Huge boost for Weymouth Women's Refuge campaign

Magna Housing is expressing an interest in taking it over and converting it into three or four flats as move-on accommodation for victims of domestic violence and their children.

It would provide facilities for vulnerable people who do not need intense refuge support but are not yet ready for independent living – clients deemed as low to medium risk.

However, the half-way house would remain in a secret location and have an alarm system. Campaigners Councillor Gill Taylor and Mary Watson, chairman of the Weymouth Domestic Violence Forum, hope Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, which owns the building, will give the scheme the go-ahead.

They say it is the first step in getting emergency accommodation back in Wey-mouth and would free up spaces in West Dorset’s Women’s Refuge and other refuges across the county.

Coun Taylor said the latest develop followed a ‘colossal amount of work’ behind the scenes with Magna and others.

While it is hoped Magna will buy the building and convert it, another association will provide the service including the support staff.

There may also have to be some local fundraising.

Coun Taylor said: “Magna has said in principal they’re happy to buy the house and convert it into flats, used as move-on accommodation for other refuges for people not ready to go back into normal life but who don’t need intense support.

“It will be a half-way house and will increase the number of refuge places in Dorset because it’s effectively freeing up emergency accommodation in other refuges.

“We envisage a lot of the clients would come from West Dorset but also from North Dorset.”

She added: “It’s big news. In an ideal world we’d like to open up a proper refuge but at the moment it’s unrealistic to find £100,000 year on year to keep it going.”

If approved, the move-on accommodation could open next summer.

Mrs Watson added: “We’re very hopeful it will be approved by the borough council.”

Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, visited the refuge when its closure was announced and hopes the changes will create better accommodation.

He said: “The building was not fit for purpose.

“So, although they may now provide for less people if it’s a better standard of accommodation then this is welcome.”

County Council-lor Brian Ellis, who was in the initial group that set up the refuge in 1986, said: “It’s very good news because some provision is better than nothing.

“If it has provision for victims of domestic violence it is a step in the right direction and I hope the borough does the right thing and gives permission.”

A spokesman for the Dorset Women’s Outreach Project welcomed the plans but warned ‘what Weymouth still needs is a refuge.’ The spokesman for the project – which offers help and advice to victims of domestic abuse – said women from Weymouth who are offered a refuge further away often decide to stay with abusive partners.

She said: “This is a step in the right direction. I work on the front line and my concern is that Weymouth needs a refuge for local women. There are people that need to go there before they can take out non-molestation orders and return to their own home safely.

“When the only refuge I can find is in Birmingham, they won’t go.”

The campaigners said it was ‘incredibly important’ to have a dedicated child support worker at the facility and had been in talks with Dorset County Council children’s services, Waves in Weymouth, which has been told it faces funding cuts, and Barnardo’s.

All have been ‘very supportive’ but say funding of £15,000 to £20,000 a year is needed for this role.

Magna director, David Aldwinckle said: “Magna has been asked to provide costs for converting the refuge into a number of individual flats and also for costs to continue to provide the accommodation for the refuge as it is now.

“As yet, nothing has been agreed.”

More detailed plans to bring back the accommodation should be back before councillors in January.