A HOSTEL for homeless people waiting for permanent accommodation has opened its doors after a £90,000 refurbishment.

Richmondshire District Council's George Nickling House in Colburn was officially re-opened by chairman of the council, Cllr Russell Lord, just in time for Christmas.

The authority’s hostel provides temporary accommodation for homeless people waiting for permanent accommodation in the Richmondshire area.

The council’s housing options manager Elizabeth Pybus said the hostel had been re-painted and carpeted two years ago, but it was time to make it more modern for families in need of emergency accommodation.

She said: “We gave it an initial facelift when we took over the building in 2012, but it had shared bathrooms, which we felt was not really suitable for families and we wanted to give people more privacy.

"We were awarded the MoD grant because we could show that we help both people with a military connection and the local community, as often service personnel and veterans want to stay in the area with their families and we help them if they fall into difficulty.”

The 16 bedroom facility - which was built in 1993 – has undergone a £90,000 makeover thanks to a £50,000 grant from the Ministry of Defence Community Covenant Fund. The rest of the funding came from the district council.

It has seen bedrooms converted into self-contained units with en-suite facilities; windows and external doors have been replaced with double glazed units; solar panels have been installed; and the playground extended .