Controversial plans to build emergency homes for homeless people in Llandrindod Wells have been shelved.

In June, Powys County Council (PCC) applied for planning permission to build seven single-storey, self-contained modular dwelling units at a site in Llandrindod Wells, near PCC’s headquarters and a primary school.

The brownfield site is near the entrance to County Hall off Spa Road and just yards away from Ysgol Cefnllys Primary School.

The site had council buildings on it in the past, but these were demolished in 2020, and the site has not been used since then.

Each modular unit would be manufactured off-site and delivered there mostly built, requiring “minimal foundations and service infrastructure”.

The proposal didn’t go down well with parents of Ysgol Cefnllys pupils, who objected to it.

Llandrindod Wells Town Council discussed the application at a meeting in July and asked the county councillor for this part of Llandrindod Wells, Lauren D’Silva (Liberal Democrat – Llandrindod South), to “call in” the application so it could be brought before county councillors at a meeting of the Planning Committee.

Llandrindod council said: “Members were disappointed at the level of detailed information provided in support of the application.

“We would ask that, in view of comments received from the local school and residents, this application is called into committee.”

In August, Powys County Council announced that it was holding drop-in sessions at County Hall to explain the proposal to residents.

Documents supporting the proposal were also added to the public-facing PCC planning portal during August, including a planning statement.

The planning statement said: “The development is intended to provide temporary accommodation to existing homeless households under the local authority’s homelessness duties.

“The planned self-contained units would help reduce reliance on alternative costly emergency placements whilst providing a more suitable environment for people experiencing a housing crisis.

“The development would deliver both financial and social benefits.

“It would provide safe, modern, self-contained temporary homes, giving households greater stability and privacy while officers and support providers work with them to secure suitable settled housing as quickly as possible.”

However, the latest update shows that the council withdrew the scheme on September 25.