Welland Council has turned down a motion to open an Out of the Cold program.

An idea to open a three-month pilot project opening an emergency homeless shelter at the Welland Tennis Club was turned down.

Councillor John Chiocchio tells CKTB he's very disappointed.

He says the Welland Tennis Club, which is city-owned, will be sitting empty come January.

He says it's a moral issue, and this would not take away from all the great community agencies like the Hope Centre, it would be operated as an emergency shelter.

Chiocchio says at the end of the day the idea was turned down because of safety and liability issues.

He says people are paranoid, and the city is already paying a lot in insurance which would cover the building and the program.