Derby City Council has approved plans for addiction recovery housing at a former local bed and breakfast. The Living Recovery Foundation will transform Thornhill Lodge Guest House on Thornhill Road into a structured home for people in recovery from addiction.

The charity already runs the nine-bed Jericho House on London Road in Alvaston. Taking over Thornhill Lodge will nearly double its capacity. Across both sites, it will offer 18 supported places in total.

At the planning committee meeting, councillors heard about the foundation’s strong community record and its hands-on approach to structured recovery housing.

Why Demand for Addiction Recovery Housing Keeps Growing

Demand for supported recovery housing keeps outpacing supply across the UK. Alcohol alone costs the NHS around £3.5 billion each year, according to Alcohol Change UK. Drug-related deaths in England and Wales have reached record levels in recent years. Both figures reflect a crisis that services like this one are actively working to tackle.

Research supports the case strongly. People who enter structured recovery housing after treatment relapse far less often than those who leave without it.

Neil Ainslie, chief executive of Living Recovery Foundation, sees the new site as a natural next step for the organisation.

He said: “Our proposal introduces a more stable and controlled use with carefully assessed residents living in a structured, supervised environment. Our experience shows that structured recovery housing, when responsibly managed, creates sustainability and positive outcomes rather than disruption.”

Six staff will work on site each weekday. Two staff members will cover overnight and weekend shifts.

Community Concerns Addressed Before the Vote

Not everyone welcomed the application. Of the 22 responses the council received during the public consultation, 20 raised objections. Residents flagged parking and traffic concerns. Others raised safeguarding questions about a nearby nursery and care home.

Councillor Sara Bolton voted in favour but understood why neighbours felt uneasy.

She said: “I think for the members of the community who live nearby in the Thornhill Road area, there is just a perception of fear about what is going to be in the community, and we’ve had this many times with other applications.”

Before the planning decision, the charity met with local residents. Councillors welcomed this and called it an important step in building trust.

Planning officers reviewed every concern. They found no evidence that the facility would harm the surrounding area.

Jericho House Praised as a Model for Addiction Recovery Housing

At the meeting, speakers quickly moved past the objections. They pointed to Jericho House’s track record as clear evidence that addiction recovery housing can benefit an entire neighbourhood.

Tim Prosser, a planning committee member and Alvaston ward councillor, put it plainly.

He said: “For a facility like this, residents’ concerns are extremely important and understandable, but Jericho House in Alvaston has operated such a successful business that rather than being harmful, it is actually very positive to the community. I don’t know of any other rehab unit with such a great success rate, particularly in this city.”

The foundation’s stated aim is helping individuals and their families rebuild their lives with hope and purpose. Ainslie said the charity will keep engaging openly with neighbours as the new site develops.

What Comes Next for Structured Recovery Housing in Derby

The Living Recovery Foundation can now begin work on Thornhill Lodge. The building shifts from a guest house to structured recovery housing. Supporters say Derby needs more of exactly this.

Good recovery housing does more than provide a roof. It gives people a clear, supervised path back into daily life, right at the moment when that support counts the most.

Source: dbrecoveryresources