Homeless families in temporary accommodation at Norway House in North Weald are to benefit from improved living conditions thanks to a £600,000 refurbishment.
The Epping Road hostel has been the main centre for homeless people in the area since being taken over by Epping Forest District Council in 1978.
As the former mess building for RAF officers based over the road at North Weald Airfield, it is due to be awarded Grade II listed status later this year.
But while a detailed planning application has yet to be submitted, the district council is expected to secure permission for a host of improvements to the building - which can currently accommodate up to 40 families at a time.
The district council cabinet approved funding for the hostel's two second-floor attics to be converted for residential use.
These will provide self-contained accommodation for two families of up to five members each.
Speaking after Wednesday night's cabinet meeting, the portfolio holder for housing, Cllr Stephen Murray, said: 'The improvement works for Norway House that have been agreed will make life for residents much more comfortable.
'They will significantly improve the accommodation and communal areas and I hope that it will mean that their stay at Norway House is therefore improved.'
The value of Norway House had earlier been underlined in a report presented to the meeting that explained how the hostel is used in preference to placing families in bed and breakfast hotel accommodation.
Published Thursday, January 16, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article