A MASSIVE refurbishment is set to totally revamp a hostel used by some of South Lakeland's most vulnerable people.

Town View Fields Hostel, Kendal, provides emergency accommodation for 'truly disadvantaged' or endangered members of society, yet it currently has no disabled access and inadequate security.

But that is all about to change as South Lakeland District Council's cabinet unanimously agreed to allocate funds to bring en-suite facilities, a chair lift and tighter security to the site.

The council is to take £114,000 from its 'Other Housing Schemes' budget to complete the renovation of the 18-room hostel located off Windermere Road.

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South Lakeland is one of only two councils in Cumbria to have an emergency homeless shelter and it has a statutory duty to prevent rough sleeping.

The hostel is more cost-effective than having to pay for the homeless to spend the night in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Cllr Graham Vincent, portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing, is under no doubt that Town View Fields needs to be improved.

"It will be safer and cleaner and give people who are truly disadvantaged a sign of what a change in their lifestyle might bring about," said Cllr Vincent.

"The plan is for some rooms to have an en-suite shower facility. There's no disabled facilities within the hostel and that needs to be rectified as quickly as we can.

"There are proposals for a chair lift to the top floor and in the past the hostel has been criticised for the level of security it offers. 

"We want to bring better security to each floor - that's a long overdue event.

"It's bringing it fully up to date and making it fully operational."

Kendal's Mayor, Cllr Chris Hogg, was also in favour of allocating money to revamp the hostel, which is currently operating at around 72 per cent capacity.

He said: "It's emergency accommodation we're talking about and they're the most vulnerable people. I'm very concerned about some of the younger people in our area because more younger people are becoming vulnerable and we need to support them as much as possible."