A PLAN to convert a children's indoor play area which closed suddenly into a housing advice centre looks set to be approved.

Soft play area and cafe Shakeey Shake and Play in Trinity Street, which closed in November, would be taken over by Worcester City Council to house its housing advice team, according to plans.

The council wants to move its housing advice centre, which is currently based in the Hive, into the now vacant building as the lease runs out in March next year.

The plan must be decided by the council's planning committee as the city council is the applicant.

The council's planning committee meets this afternoon (January 23) to discuss the plan with a recommendation it is approved.

The former Co-op building was used as a library between 2000 and 2012 before the Hive opened and then lay vacant.

The building had been empty for a number of years until it was taken over by the Shakeey family and turned into a children's soft play area in 2016.

A statement on the children's play area's Facebook page in November last year said the business would no longer be trading.

The centre would offer advice on housing benefits as well as homelessness prevention services.

The council said it expects around 30 people to use the advice centre per day and would largely work on an appointments basis but drop-in visits would also be received at the centre.

A statement included with the application said: "The proposed use for the site is to provide a housing advice centre that will provide its clients with the best housing information and advice in the best location resulting in the best solution.

"Information and guidance will be provided by impartial, realisable and trusted partner organisations. The operation currently runs out of The Hive with the lease expiring in March, hence the need to relocate the service.

"The key objectives are to provide a venue that encourages customers to seek help as early as possible, to provide a service that brings together housing and benefit information, advice and guidance for the people of Worcester in one location and to provide a venue that enables homelessness prevention, offers alternative housing solutions and does not focus on the statutory pathway."

The planned opening hours for the housing advice centre would be 9.30am until 4.30pm between Monday and Friday.