A new safe place to stay for up to eight people needing temporary accommodation has opened its doors in Sudbury.

The Firs, in Waldingfield Road, has been converted by Babergh District Council to provide more essential accommodation to help those at risk of homelessness.

The council hopes that by doing so it will reduce the number of people having to be housed further afield – stopping them from being separated from friends, family and local support.

Jan Osbourne, Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for housing, joined members of the council’s homelessness team to carry out a final inspection of the former sheltered scheme managers home this week, with the first residents due to move in from July 17.

She said: “Our teams have done an incredible job over recent weeks, ensuring the most vulnerable people in our districts have been kept safely off the streets and helped into accommodation.

“We are committed to building on this work, with this newly converted asset for the district meaning more people can stay closer to area that they know and where they have connections, particularly during a stressful time.

“By increasing our own temporary housing stock, we can reduce the amount of money spent on emergency bed and breakfast accommodation and ensure we have the right accommodation in the right place.”