A INNOVATIVE new project to provide holiday-let glamping pods within a church has been approved.

Planning permission has been given by Herefordshire Council for a partial change of use at St Michael's Church in Dulas, near to Ewyas Harold.

The free-standing pods will enclose a double bedroom with an ensuite toilet, a kitchen, and a separate bathroom.

The lockable pods will allow for occasional public access.

Architects have designed a £140,000 prototype that should be open in the church in 2019.

But it is expected that the cost of the pods would drop to £70,000 when they are mass-produced.

The church has been closed since 2008. Rental income from the holiday accommodation is fed back into the conservation of the building.

If a success, the pilot project could be rolled out across the country to other Church of England churches to enable the buildings to generate an income to finance their upkeep.