A church-led organisation which was planning to bus groups of homeless people into a tiny Wrexham chapel has cancelled the idea.

Following two meetings over the weekend Housing Justice Cymru (HJC), a South Wales organisation, has decided Wrexham Methodist Chapel at the corner of Colliery Road in Stansty, Rhosddu, is in the wrong location and does not have adequate facilities.

News of the cancellation was given to chapel members before a Sunday service by the Rev Richard Parkes.

He had been involved in consideration of the proposal with Stephen Conville of HJC which runs schemes for the homeless in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.

It was planned to bus 10 homeless people to the chapel at 8pm each day for a month's pilot scheme and collect them the following morning. The organisations would be helped by volunteers.

At a meeting at the chapel on Friday night a few representatives of residents living near the chapel voiced concern about the scheme which was due to start next Sunday.

A source said the officials seemed surprised at the opposition to the plan, even by a few of the chapel members

The chapel is close to a school and a residential home.

County Cllr I David Bithell, chairman of Rhosddu Community Council, said: “I am happy with the decision but none of the opposition would have happened if HJC had been open about the plan instead of keeping it secret.

"Local residents should have been consulted at the outset.

"We are all sorry for the homeless but Wrexham Council is providing bed and breakfast facilities during the winter period.”

At a meeting of the community council County Cllr Marc Jones (Grosvenor ward) and Andy Williams (Garden Village ward) said the lack of information had been a problem for the council and training of volunteers to deal with the homeless was essential.

Cllr Jones said even professional people had issues with some of the homeless people.

Cllr Brenda Roberts, a chapel member, said it had always been a compassionate venue and she asked councillors if they would like to be homeless on a bitterly cold night

Cllr Julie Smith said some people in Garden Village had known about the scheme and a couple of people who wanted to volunteer to help had no experience of dealing with homeless people.