Gwynedd Council will convert some of its former offices into flats to tackle homelessness in the county.

The council’s planning committee passed an application lodged by the council to change the use of the former council offices to create five homes at the Mona building on Caernarfon’s High Street.

The application said the need for office space has reduced since the pandemic due to the number of employees now working from home.

The latest plan would see the development of three flats with one double bedroom and two with two double bedrooms, and include an extension at the rear, air source heat pumps and a new door to a refuse store.

The plans described use by “low risk homeless individuals” and “not accommodation with complex support or the type of use that would create a high impact on the community”.

The units would be designed comply with the Welsh Government standards and would help “tackle an important social issue (homelessness) without overloading the local housing provision, and would provide affordable units in accordance with the requirements of planning policy”.

The homes would be subject to an affordable housing condition, which would allow the council “flexibility” to use the accommodation to meet permanent accommodation needs for residents of the area in future should there be a fall in demand on the homeless service.

The council’s planning committee unanimously approved the scheme on Monday, January 12.

Cllr Cai Larson noted “a small number of wards seem to shoulder more of the burden of addressing the homelessness we are facing”, adding: “Town centre wards often have significant challenges in the light of poverty and deprivation.

“I believe it is very important that we work towards balanced communities, where no area is over burdened by any type of accommodation provision.”