NEWPORT Council says so-called "homeless pods" at a city-centre site will remain there for an "unknown" period of time.

The pods - similar in size and appearance to cabins found on construction sites - were installed on unused land next to the Passport Office and city's magistrates' court in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, as part of a Welsh Government scheme to get people off the streets.

But as we approach the third anniversary of Covid's arrival in Wales, the pods remain at the site, and new documents show the city council has no idea how long the scheme will go on.

The council has also said there is "uncertainty" over any future development at the site.

The admission was included as part of a report on the future of a nearby patch of land around Mission Court, which the council has recommended be leased as a small car park to a neighbouring business.

Historically, the Mission Court area "has been offered by way of long leaseholds for development purposes, with a number of buildings being erected for office and employment use", a council report reads.

The council also hopes "further development for employment purposes will attract more workers to Newport and [improve] the local economy".

However, limited parking has "often led to issues" and the council said it had been powerless to carry out enforcement on one road in the area which hadn't been adopted.

The land it is now proposing to lease as a car park was originally earmarked as a parking area for any business which would be set up on a nearly 1,800-square-metre site in Mission Court - but this is where the homeless pods were then placed in 2020.

In the city council's words, the pods are "part of Welsh Government’s aim to get more homeless people off the street in response to the pandemic".

"It is unknown as to how long the pods will be housed at Mission Court but currently one potential development plot has been taken up by the homeless pods," the council report reads.

The council acknowledges that leasing the nearby land as a car park would make it unavailable "to be used with the remaining development plot for car parking, and therefore any future development of the land where the pods are being housed would need to factor in other measures for car parking".

However, because "it is felt that due to the presence of the homeless pods and the uncertainty of any future development taking place, the current issues with car parking can be alleviated", the council added.