A project to trial pods for homeless people in Cheltenham has been given the green light to launch.

If successful businesses and community groups will be approached to fundraise and sponsor their own pod in further sites within the town.

"These could include corners of car parks, ends of private gardens or old garage sites etc that are unsuitable for development," said a planning statement by Caring Communities and People (CCP).

The Gloucestershire charity is spearheading the scheme and has drawn up a map identifying a further 12 possible locations in Cheltenham for the pods. They include areas near the Promenade, Waitrose, The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, Cheltenham Cricket Club and the Winston Churchill Memorial Gardens.

The statement added: "We need to consider not creating ghettos but also not having people located in remote or disconnected places that may exacerbate loneliness."

Plans to pilot the scheme for two years in the town centre were approved by Cheltenham Borough Council on Wednesday (July 31).

It means the first pod can be installed at the CCP offices at 340 High Street and remain in place until July 31, 2026.

The pod will be located in a side courtyard and come complete with a bed, chemical toilet, USB charging point, solar panel and keyless entry. They are fully self- contained and do not require mains electricity .

The timber frame and fibreglass structure have been dubbed Chelpods,. They are classed as a temporary structure and stand at a height and width of 2.4m.

The planning application states: "The pod is a pilot for a larger scalable scheme, providing a short-term system of accommodating Cheltenham homeless for whom hostels and other strategies do not provide the right solution for their needs.

"The pod will provide safety, privacy, dignity and an address along with support services such as mental health, employment, education and the like."

CCP was founded in 1989 and works to prevent the causes and reduce the impacts of homelessness, family breakdown and exclusion.

It carried out fundraising to buy and install the first pod. A single pod costs £10,000, or a double costs £19,500. It said a further £5,000 was needed to support the person who lives in it but the tenant would be responsible for keeping the pod in "good order".

CCP said it will approach community groups and businesses to agree to fundraise and sponsor their own pod, either on an area of their site which could be allocated or on other suitable identified sites around the town.

It plans to install the pods in pairs to provide some security for tenants.

A statement by the council's housing team said: "It is important to stress that, whilst the Council is keen to engage and support CCP to realise this project, the council is not financially involved in the purchase, maintenance or housing management of the housing pod- these responsibilities fall under the jurisdiction of CCP, in keeping with their status as responsible landowners and project leads for the Chelpods."