PERSHORE’s old police station could be turned back into offices eight years after its closure.

The town’s police officers moved into the Civic Centre in 2016 and the nearby station has been left empty ever since.

Before being leased to West Mercia Police in1997, the building was a social services office and plans have now been submitted to convert it back into office space.

As Wychavon District Council owns both the former police station and the Civic Centre, the decision is expected to be made by councillors on sitting on the council’s planning committee.

According to the plans: “There is no prospect of [the building] being used as a police station again, but the present planning status limits its use to that only.

“Wychavon wish to change the use to a general office consent so that it may secure a beneficial use of the building if an opportunity arises.”

Cllr Jodi Arnold said: “It’s a shame the station is no longer used for its [previous] purpose, as I know many residents would like this to return to a working police station.

“If there are no plans to start using it again then it’s only logical for the building to be used for another purpose.”

Pershore Civic Society said it had no objections to the application, saying it was “time something was done with the property”.

The district council said it hoped the change of use would give a wider potential for the “otherwise defunct building” to be re-used.

“A future letting of this building as offices could bring economic benefits to the town generally, as occupants would use the local businesses,” it said in planning papers.

“There are good vehicular and pedestrian accesses to the building.

“The vehicular access is via Queen Elizabeth Drive and across the Civic Centre car parks.

“The pedestrian access is via the Civic Centre complex, and off the High Street via the link path alongside the Pickled Plum public house.”