CIRENCESTER Police Station could be moved from its current location to make way for new town centre housing as part of the proposed district-wide Local Plan.

At the beginning of the month, Cirencester Town Council along with members of the local community visited a number of sites in the town that could potentially be redeveloped as housing.

Cirencester’s defunct magistrates court, which is attached to the town’s police station, was one of the sites that members believed could accommodate redevelopment.

A report of the group’s findings described the magistrates court as an “accessible site in a town centre location with a poor quality building suitable for redevelopment”.

However, the court is covered by a covenant which states that, as long as the police station is still on site, it can only be used as a court or as offices.

The report stated that “if the whole site, including the police station, was made available it would be a more viable redevelopment opportunity”.

The town council has since suggested that the police station could be re-homed at the Memorial Hospital in Sheep Street or on land between 42 and 54 Querns Lane.

Despite a previous statement from Gloucestershire Police denying a move, a spokesman for Martin Surl, Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, said that Mr Surl “has an open mind” in terms of a possible move.

“He would welcome any new idea for the site and, equally, he would not be averse to reconsidering anything that has been suggested in the past,” a spokesman said.

“There is no time scale but most important of all, he is committed to finding a solution that will maintain a visible police presence in Cirencester in the current economic climate.”

Staff at Martin Surl’s office were unable to give details on what proposals had already been submitted for the site.

The current Local Plan sets out a provision for 6,900 homes to be built across the Cotswolds over the next 18 years, with just under one third of all houses earmarked for the Chesterton area of Cirencester.

For more information on the Local Plan, visit www.cotswold.gov.uk.