DETAILED plans of how property renovation show DIY SOS will help homeless teenagers in Blackburn with Darwen have been revealed.

A planning application has been submitted showing how the rundown parish rooms at St Silas' Church, Blackburn, will be turned into accommodation and a support centre for the Nightsafe charity on the BBC1 show presented by Nick Knowles.

The current Nightsafe accommodation centre is no longer big enough to cater for the growing demand in the area and is bursting at the seams.

The scope of the project is to re-purpose the under-utilised space in the parish rooms for Nightsafe.

Documents reveal the proposals will provide the charity with new supported housing accommodation for up to six homeless young people aged 16 to 18 for between three months to two years.

The new centre will house those who are in need of support, that may be helping them to finish education or training, to promotion of life skills before people move on into independent living.

Each young person is assigned a support worker who will look at their needs and aspirations to then produce an individual action plan to help them achieve their goals.

Young people are encouraged to participate in the running of the project through residents meetings, carrying out health and safety checks and risk assessments.

Nightsafe has helped young people to raise money for new furnishings and be involved in projects to redecorate the house and garden in some of its other centres.

Along with accommodation for the homeless, with each young person provided a bedroom with ensuite bathroom, there will be a large central kitchen and living space as well as garden and staff facilities.

A church spokesman said: “The proposed change of use to the old Sunday school will sustain the building while continuing to provide a service that benefits the local community, something that has historically been delivered from the premise.

“Originally a Sunday school, the building has run several school services as well as providing a church and home for refugees during the war.

“The proposed use perpetrates the charitable ethic that has been behind the parish rooms since they opened.

“There is demand for projects like this within Blackburn with Darwen and the accompanying help from DIY SOS will highlight the homeless community in the town.”

Cllr Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council said “We are looking forward to welcoming DIY SOS to Blackburn. “It fits perfectly with what we are about as a council, helping us with one of our big priorities which is to look after vulnerable people.”

The show will air this November during BBC Children in Need Appeal week.