A HOMELESS charity’s plans to find a new home in Trowbridge have been scuppered after the derelict pub it wanted to buy has been bought by someone else.

For more than a year, Breakthrough Trowbridge has wanted to turn the Carpenters Arms in Roundstone Street, which has been empty for a decade, into a hub for the homeless at a cost of £500,000.

However the charity’s hopes of moving from its part-time base at The Salvation Army in Castle Street were dashed after the pub was sold to another buyer.

Breakthrough manager, Rev Barrie Dearlove, said he was hugely disappointed that his plans to create a safe house, with eight bedrooms to help recovering addicts get back on their feet and find employment, have been postponed for the foreseeable future.

“When I found out the news, I was hugely disappointed. We had talked to the estate agent, looked at planning permission, got quotes for how much the repairs would cost, struck a deal with social enterprise Green Pastures, who would cover the costs before renting the building back to us at a cut price, and prepared an asbestos survey – and then this happens.

“Now, unfortunately, we are back to square one. We need to expand and extend our services to cope with the rising levels of homelessness in the town. I have more than a dozen people who come to us for the two days a week we are open.

“We want to help more homeless people but now those plans have suffered a real blow. This was an ideal location but we have to look elsewhere now.

“I have not given up hope and we will continue to do the work that we do. The Salvation Army has been very good to us.”