FORMER council offices will become temporary housing for families more than two years after the building was abruptly shut down on health and safety grounds.

Councillors have agreed the rundown Brighton and Hove City Council housing offices in Oxford Street, Brighton, should be given a £1.2 million makeover.

A former seniors’ housing scheme is also set to be converted to create more temporary accommodation and reduce the council’s reliance on private landlords.

The council currently houses more than 2,200 residents in temporary homes across the city at a cost of around £15 million a year.

The authority is set to spend £700,000 over budget on temporary accommodation this year.

The Oford Street office was the busiest of the city’s four housing offices with 190 visitors per day before its abrupt closure at the end of November after an “alarming verbal report” from health and safety officers that it presented an “immediate danger”.

The Argus obtained council emails that revealed the housing office was shut because council bosses were worried about the risk of a corporate manslaughter charge if a window fell out and killed a passer-by.

Just a fortnight before its closure, an elderly woman tripped on scaffolding that was holding the building’s windows in place and was taken to hospital.

Councillors were given five options to consider at Wednesday’s housing and new homes committee, including selling the city centre site on the open market or to an affordable housing provider.

Members were also asked to consider whether the council could develop the site to provide affordable accommodation or conversion to either temporary accommodation or 12 supported housing scheme flats for former homeless people with disabilities, costing £1.5 million.

Council officers advised the committee to back plans for temporary accommodation

Members have also agreed to convert 20 studio flats in the Stonehurst Court seniors housing scheme off Down Terrace, Brighton, into 10 two-bedroom temporary accommodation family homes with six other flats to be made available to council tenants at a cost of £1 million.

Council officers said the project would return the homes back to their original design following a council conversion 50 years ago.

Councillor David Gibson, Green group housing spokesman, welcomed the conversion, saying the council would save costs and receive an income stream while residents living in the newly redeveloped homes would better from social rents.

Councillor Mary Mears, Conservative housing spokeswoman, said: “What happened to Oxford Street was an absolute disgrace, an asset that was not maintained or looked after.

“Lessons need to be learned and an asset never allowed to go unused for two years again.”

Councillor Clare Moonan, the authority’s lead on homelessness, said she had hoped the site would be used for homeless residents but appreciated it was not an ideal location.