PLANS are being drawn up to turn Bournemouth’s homeless hostel into a treatment centre.

Council chiefs looking to address drugs and homeless problems are finalising ideas to change St Paul’s night shelter into a more permanent home for rehabilitation.

Speaking at the Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch meeting, councillor Dave Smith said three new smaller “units” will replace the overnight service currently provided at St Pauls.

He said: “We’ve realised that although we take people in for the night at St Paul’s we are not perhaps helping them as much as we would like as many have drink and drug issues.

“So we are remodelling our homeless situation. St Paul’s will stop doing what it is doing and we will have three smaller units.

“We will work with the same number of people to try to stabilise them over a month and after they have been assessed they will go to St Paul’s for three or four months and be encouraged to go on different courses.”

At the moment those using St Paul’s have to leave each day and remove their items. The hostel is owned by the council but run by BCHA.

Coun Smith said the three small units will be on Lansdowne Road, Holdenhurst Road and Frances Road.

He was responding to Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Norman Decent’s updates on beggars.

At the last meeting council leader, councillor John Beesley, said he wanted to get more homeless people “back where they came from.

Coun Smith added: “We’ve found out St Paul’s is one of the only direct access hostels in the country. Other agencies have been saying ‘go to Bournemouth’ and they are given a ticket to come here.

“Beggars tell me they get £30 to £40 a night.”