PLANS for a £2.2million hostel for the homeless in Darwen have been unveiled.

The 30-bed apartment development will replace the "outdated" Police Street hostel in Darwen.

Twin Valley Homes has asked Blackburn with Darwen Council for permission to build the hostel on an unused triangle of land between James Street and Bury Street.

It would consist of two accommodation blocks with ground-floor communal facilities and residential units aimed at providing short-stay accommodation.

Twin Valley Homes currently runs the Police Street hostel, made up of a unit for single people and a families project.

But it was decided to close the singles accommodation and replace it with the new hostel after the council received £2.3million of government funding through the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme.

Assistant regeneration chief Sayyed Osman said: "In partnership with the Homelessness Directorate we have been given funding to develop new accommodation for the homeless.

"The current application from Twin Valley Homes is for the development of accommodation for single persons.

"Unlike previous hostels and institutions, the vision is that the new accommodation will ensure that we work to get homeless people into permanent and sustainable accommodation in the shortest time possible.

"Anyone who becomes homeless will receive a high level of personal support focused on them. This may be training for employment, education support, health, support with any personal problems, life skills and more.

"Twin Valley Homes, as the council's partner in this scheme, will be working in partnership with a range of agencies and departments to co-ordinate support for the residents."