COUNCILLORS are aiming to help homeless people in the district after giving the go-ahead to plans for a new hostel.

Members of Wycombe District Council's development control committee unanimously decided in favour of plans for a homeless hostel to be placed on the site of the Church of the Rock in Amersham Hill, High Wycombe, when they met last Thursday.

The approval places the building just yards from the Old Tea Warehouse, which has recently opened to house the homeless.

Councillors were concerned that people at the hostel, especially young families, would be disturbed by noise from the neighbouring Flint Cottage pub.

Councillor Sarah Marshall (Con, Stokenchurch) said "It would not be right to subject young children to this noise from the beer garden next door."

Concerns were also raised about the loss of the building as a community facility despite it not being used since the 1970s.

But it was decided that adequate insulation should sort out problems with noise and that total refurbishment into a 24 roomed hostel would improve the appearance of the area.

Wycombe District Council already uses three B and B hostels owned and managed by the High Wycombe-based Coin UK Ltd, with eight units available in Hughenden Road and 23 in Priory Avenue.

Errol Bland, owner of Coin UK, said that lack of council owned accommodation meant his service was necessary to keep people off the streets.

"We work very closely with the council and cater for those in short-term need depending on their individual circumstances," he said.

"Problems with homelessness are getting worse but at least this gives them a chance to get back on their feet. We do not accept people off the street and everyone will be referred to us by the council."