PLANS to provide supported accommodation for vulnerable children and their parents have been approved.

The proposals involve altering a residential building on Morris Road, near to Southampton city centre, which used to exist as five residential flats.

Now approved by Southampton City Council, the building will will be converted into four flats to house children and parents and one flat will be used to provide 24 hour monitoring.

Staff will be on had to provide parents with counselling and advice, and the unit will be routinely inspected by educational assessment board - Ofsted.

It is hoped the unit will provide a space for local authorities to establish whether children can be adequately cared for by their biological families.

As part of the approval, the city council’s planning team said: “The development is acceptable taking into account the policies and proposals of the Development Plan as set out within the Officers Report. Other material considerations have been considered and are not judged to have sufficient weight to justify a refusal of the application, and where applicable conditions have been applied in order to satisfy these matters.

“The scheme is therefore judged to be in accordance with Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and thus planning permission should therefore be granted.”

The building comprises of three double beds and two single beds, there will be space for parking - either resident or staff - and a communal garden.

It is expected that most referrals to the unit would be mothers with children, though any refereed parents are welcome at the unit.