Herefordshire Council took on the John Venn Building, the new-old name for the John Haider Building at the corner of Gaol Street and the A438 Bath Street, a year ago in order to turn it into emergency social housing for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. RELATED NEWS:But progress since then on converting the distinctive Art Deco building, now showing considerable signs of disrepair, has been slow. Now, however, the council’s contractors, Speller Metcalfe, have set a temporary compound in the neighbouring Gaol Street car park, also council-owned, ahead of building work. Contractors at the John Venn Building (Image: James Thomas)Occupying 11 parking spaces, the compound is "needed initially to support early preparation works, including the removal of existing material from the building, which are expected to take around three to four weeks," a council spokesperson explained. Aerial view of the Gaol Street car park and John Venn Building, showing the outline of the temporary compound (Image: Herefordshire Council)"The overall construction period is expected to run until 28 May 2027," the spokesperson said.