Plans for a permanent homeless pod in a South Lakes town have been given the go-ahead.
The pod, outside Manna House homeless shelter in Kendal, has a single bed and chemical toilet and is lightweight so can be moved easily.
The charity said it had identified the need for short-term, overnight accommodation which can be accessed by vulnerable individuals out-of-hours in bad weather.
Manna House has been providing support to homeless and vulnerably housed residents in the South Lakeland area since 2002.
Based at the Stephenson Centre, off Ann Street, the charity has previously been granted temporary permissions for the pod in 2022 and last year.
During Westmorland and Furness Council’s planning committee meeting yesterday, September 4, members were told that the pod was not concreted into the ground and could be removed, which mean any like-for-like replacements would not need planning permission.
A report to councillors said: “Due to a lack of reports of significant anti-social behaviour, a permanent permission (ie not time restricted) is considered appropriate.”
Cumbria police said the the supervisor of the Neighbourhood Policing Team that patrols the area said management procedures for the pod continued to be effective and the pod did not generate disproportionate calls.
