A Somerset councillor has urged the council to expand safe, female-only accommodation for people sleeping rough, as the authority prepares to use nearly £5.9 million in government funding.

Lucy Trimnell, Conservative councillor for Wincanton and Bruton and the opposition's shadow portfolio holder for adults' services, housing and homelessness, raised the issue at Somerset Council's executive meeting on Wednesday, November 4.

She asked whether the council's plan to ensure rough sleepers have a route off the streets by Christmas would include female-only accommodation.

Ms Trimnell said: "As the council begins to formulate a plan to ensure that every rough sleeper has a route off the street by Christmas, I want to ask whether there's a plan to ensure provision of female-only accommodation."

She said women can face particular risks in mixed-sex accommodation, especially when they are dealing with domestic abuse, exploitation, mental ill health, addiction or learning difficulties. She called for emergency accommodation and support that meet women's needs.

The council says it recognises there is a shortage of female-only provision in Somerset and is working with specialist providers to secure more. It has also said some female-only accommodation has already been secured in parts of the county, and that it is considering female-only days or times at some existing services.

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, the council's portfolio holder for adults' services, housing and homelessness, said: "We are currently already working with specialist providers to secure female-only accommodation; this is work to which we had already committed, and had already recognised was needed before the recent rough sleeper funding was announced."

Somerset has been allocated nearly £5.9 million over three years: £1 million in 2026/27, £2.26 million in 2027/28 and £2.61 million in 2028/29. The council says the funding will support new and expanded services, including female-only accommodation and support, as well as higher-support accommodation for people with complex needs.

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The additional £432 million announced in the 2026 Budget brings the government's total funding for rough sleeping to £874 million.

Council leader Bill Revans said he hoped the authority could use the resources from central government to meet its aims for rough sleeping services.

Reporting by: Daniel Mumby/LDRS

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