THE Army will have to wait a little longer before it knows if bedsits are to be built in Richmond for ex-servicemen and women who would otherwise be facing life on the streets.

The Ministry of Defence has already forged a partnership with English Churches Housing after a national report indicated as many as a quarter of Britain's homeless have a forces background.

Defence Minister Geoff Hoon was in Catterick Garrison last month to launch the The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for Ex-services (Spaces).

But the project's success could hinge on a bid to convert the Chapel Gallery in Richmond's Ryder's Wynd into 13 bedsits and two offices.

Richmondshire District Council's planners have decided not to sanction the scheme until they have had an opportunity to discuss it with the town's administration.

The town council is worried about the loss of another commercial premises, while some concern has also been expressed over the impact on limited parking in the town's Market Square