localbigwig,
If we thought it was going to dramatically change the character of the area we would have objected, just as we did with Miriam Lodge.

The people who the council intends to house here are not 'pimps and arsonists and schizophrenics and hardened criminals' (mentioned in a previous post), it will be purely for families who are in need of a roof over their head, and preferably somewhere basic to cook food, rather than relying entirely on fast food outlets. The use of entirely separate premises for families, rather than sharing with single homeless people, is beneficial for these families.

Although there may be better places for such a hostel, with higher PTAL ratings, and closer to town centres, we should not try to exclude local homeless families from sharing the charm and beauty of Forest Hill with the rest of us.

This gives the council five years to find a better solution to the housing crisis. And we will have a large building that could be used for other community purposes after the five years finishes.