A NEW £10.5m homeless accommodation facility could be built in York.

City of York Council's executive will discuss buying a single property to convert to meet all the authority's temporary homeless accommodation requirements at a meeting on March 16.

The council has suggested a building in James Street which could be used in place of the authority's current temporary arrangements at Ordnance Lane, Holgate Road, Crombie House and Acomb Road, with the £10.5 million cost covering the purchase, design and conversion of the property.

The proposal is in place of redevelopment of the Ordnance Lane site following the developer going into liquidation earlier this year, and will convert an existing building into 56 units with office and reception space, replacing the council’s existing 52 current units.

Cllr Sam Lisle, executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said: "This is a promising opportunity to deliver more cost-effective and easily managed temporary accommodation in a single, more central location."