Plan to turn loos into rough sleeper pods scrapped

Herefordshire Council had applied to itself for permission to convert the six disused public toilets into three living spaces for rough sleepers

Plans to convert six disused public toilets into three living spaces for rough sleepers have been dropped after being described as inappropriate and risking the exploitation of those using the accommodation.

Herefordshire Council wanted to transform loos on East Street, Hereford, into three so-called sleeping pods, pitched as "temporary transitional housing".

Hereford Civic Society said re-purposing an "isolated, minimally-sized and non-communally-based building" could not be called appropriate housing.

And a resident who lodged opposition to the project called the proposals “utterly exploitative”, fearing the “vulnerable” intended residents would be “a target for the criminal fraternity embedded in Herefordshire”.

The Council in April applied to itself for planning permission to convert the toilets which had been closed for several years, having previously been plagued by anti-social behaviour.

A housing development officer at the authority had said the proposed pods would "provide improved quality of life".

But councillors said they had concerns over the scheme, and felt it would provide “cramped and poor-quality accommodation”.

The council has already withdrawn a similar re-purposing of public toilets on Union Street, beside St Peter’s Church, following similar criticisms.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.