ANGRY Cirencester residents, who have grown tired of the town’s Christmas market chalets being left to rot, have come forward with ideas on how they should be used.

Many people have spoken out after the Standard revealed that the 47 chalets were being kept outside in the City Bank area of the town without any form of protection from the elements.

Victoria Luckie, 42, explained that it was “frustrating” to see the wooden structures left in such a way when they could be put to good use.

“I have sent 10 emails to Cirencester Town Council about turning the chalets into temporary accommodation for homeless people,” she said.

“I’ve spoken to a number of rough sleepers and they have all agreed it would be a good idea. I just think that this is something worth exploring.”

Readers of the Standard have grouped together online to come up with a host of suggestions as to what the chalets could be used for.

With temperatures across town plummeting, one user, writing under the name of Slinknet, said: “Why not use them for firewood for the poor and elderly?”

Claire McDonald got in touch to say that the chalets should be donated to those people who have lost their homes due to severe flooding.

She said: “People will help paint them up and businesses will donate paint to decorate. Let’s make something positive come out of this awful weather.”

Another website user, under the guise of Lvmffd, said the town council stands to make money if the chalets are hired out to other towns and villages in the area for various events.

Writing online, Col Mustard came up with the exotic idea that the chalets be transformed into something completely different, Finnish saunas.

It was also revealed this week that the Christmas chalets were bought in 2010 for £49,000, nearly £20,000 more than what was originally thought.

In the four years since their purchase, the chalets have only been used at four events – the three Christmas markets and at last summer’s Phoenix Festival.

Andrew Tubb, chief executive of Cirencester Town Council, said the chalets helped bring in 180,000 people over the course of three Christmases.

“The chalets therefore cost less than 30 pence per person in Cirencester during each of the Christmas Markets. This would have helped contribute towards sustaining the local economy,” he said.