BACKPACKERS will soon be bedding down in a place most people were desperate to stay out of.

Fremantle council’s planning committee this week approved plans to redevelop part of the heritage-listed prison for cheap accommodation.

After being on the table for almost four years, the 172-bed proposal by Youth Hostels Australia received unanimous support.

It includes re-using rooms and spaces within the former women’s division and demolition of the jewellery workshop to make way for a new single-storey building.

Deputy mayor Josh Wilson says it’s an encouraging proposal: “The Fremantle Prison is the only world heritage-listed site in WA and it’s a source of incredibly high tourism visitation.

“This plan will allow a deeper experience of that for people who want to stay in Fremantle.”

Residents living nearby expressed concerns about parking, with the council saying the situation would bee monitored and they’d be looked after.

by CLARE KENYON