BEDs could be provided for all rough sleepers in Oxford throughout the winter, starting next year.

On Monday city councillors agreed a motion reaffirming the council’s aim that nobody should have to sleep rough, and called for increased flexibility in opening emergency beds during freezing weather this winter.

The council is aiming to move away from the need to provide emergency beds next winter - 2019/2020 - by seeking to ensure enough beds are available for all rough sleepers throughout the period.

Linda Smith, deputy leader of the city council, said: “This winter, the council is doing more than ever before to prevent and reduce rough sleeping in Oxford.

"We are providing up to 215 beds for Oxford rough sleepers, including 41 new spaces thanks to temporary Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) funding.

"We will also open extra Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) beds during freezing weather, and the churches will step in again with 20 more beds through the Oxford Winter Night Shelter.

"Even with RSI funding and the OWNS, we need to do more to realise our ambition that nobody should have to sleep rough on the streets of Oxford. We are also working on plans for next winter, which will require additional government funding.

“As part of these plans, we aim to provide more continuous night shelter provision throughout the winter.”

The council has won up to £1,014,000 in RSI funding to provide extra beds and services this winter and next.

The council is now seeking further government funding for the development of a new city centre hostel.

Andrew Gant, the Liberal Democrats' group leader on Oxford City Council, said: “A single night sleeping rough is a disaster, but in near freezing temperatures it is lethal.

“The Liberal Democrats had called for SWEP to be extended to every night of extreme temperatures last winter, so we’re delighted to have won Labour round in time for the next.

“We now need to ensure that warm words are accompanied by warm places to sleep.”

Meanwhile, Craig Simmons, the city council's Green group leader, said: "I hope that we are finally seeing a move away from the 'hostile environment' that existed only 18 months ago when rough sleepers were being victimised by Public Space Protection Orders and labelled - by a leading Labour councillor - as a 'disgrace'."