A project providing a shelter for homeless people looks as though it could be up and running soon after getting support from council officers.

An application to site the Bus Shelter in a corner of the Beach Car Park in Lodmoor, just off Preston seafront in Weymouth, is being recommended for approval.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s planning committee will consider the application at a meeting on January 10.

A double decker bus has been converted to provide the shelter and it will be operated by a charity set up by Emily and Eddie McCarron to help get people off the street. The site was chosen after months of discussions to find the right spot that hopefully everyone would be happy with.

Along with support structures including portable toilets, seating and a combined kitchen/shower unit, the facility would be sited in the far north east corner of the car park, would take up six parking spaces and be fenced off.

The bus has been converted to allow up to 17 adults to sleep overnight. A report to the planning committee says there have been 86 comments on the proposal from members of the public – four neither object or support, 69 support and 13 are against.

The letters of support praise the project for tying to alleviate the issue of homelessness in Weymouth, highlight the need for such a facility, and support the location. Those objecting include people at the nearby skatepark who have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour as “they have experienced problems with homeless people setting up tents by their premises, urinating, leaving needles and empty alcohol bottles”.

A report to the committee says the proposal is not permanent built form and there have been no objections to the loss of car parking spaces.It adds that a “balance has to be made” in terms of “accessibility for customers, and the need to protect residential amenity".

The recommendation is to grant approval but only for six years unless a further application for planning permission is approved.