A FORMER cosmetics store could be opened as a homeless shelter in a matter of days – but only if it entirely safe to do so.

Lush moved out of Cornmarket in October into a new store in the Westgate Centre .

The company initially boarded up the old shopfront, which prevented homeless people from sleeping in the doorway, but later admitted this had been a 'mistake'.

It has now agreed the four-storey building could be use until the end of January as a temporary shelter for the homeless.

About 19 people could be accommodated each night according to voluntary organisation Homes4All, which has offered to run the shelter.

Volunteer Deborah Robson-Grey, who lives in Witney, said a team now planned to open the shelter, but only if the building had been declared safe for the homeless.

She added: "We need to make sure that the building meets all the right regulations for this, or the opening could be slightly delayed."

The organisation is planning to use the former retail space on the ground floor to publicise its proposals to convert a bus into accommodation for the home.

Members of the organisation came forward with the temporary shelter plan in a bid to combat the growing problem of rough sleeping in Oxford.

On Monday 33 rough sleepers were helped by the council's policy to provide guaranteed accommodation when temperatures fall to 0C or below on three or more consecutive nights.

The temperature that night fell to -9C in places.

The council said the temporary shelter could be part of 'rolling provision' for the homeless, with churches in the city centre operating emergency night shelters from January.

The local authority has also announced plans to increase the homelessness budget from £1.4m to £1.6m in 2018/19.

Labour city councillor Colin Cook said it appeared that bedding and other belongings had been left outside the former Lush.

He added: "We need to do something better than housing people temporarily in empty retail units.

"People with complex needs and the city council is always willing to engage with those in need.

"It's not ideal by any means to have all these belongings and baggage left in the doorway and it should be moved inside the Lush premises as soon as possible."

Former homeless hostel Lucy Faithfull House closed after cuts and is set to be demolished.

Simon House will close in spring 2019 when a new shelter in Rymers Lane, Cowley, is expected to be ready.

Claire Dowan, chief executive of Homeless Oxfordshire, formerly Oxford Homeless Pathways, said it was working with the city council and other providers to tackle the increase in rough sleeping.

She added: "We want to provide opportunities for people to move out of homelessness and help to them through providing both accommodation and support.

"Homelessness is a complex issue and with the right support we know clients can move on and live independently.

"To provide long term change we need to see the issue as greater than the need for temporary shelter and work collectively to prevent rough sleeping in the first place.

"I am a big supporter of working with local communities to problem solve and although I’m not aware of this particular project I do know of Homes4All and would be happy to have a conversation with them if they would find it useful."

Lush has backed the shelter proposal.