A FORMER Halstead Union building could be turned into a home.

Bartholomew House, on Colchester Road, was built for Halstead Union almost 100 years ago, but now a change of use application has been submitted for the site to be used residentially.

Butterfly Montessori Day Nursery were based in the building until the end of May, when the nursery relocated within the town.

Like many older buildings in the town, the site has strong links to the Courtauld family, and was built for the union when Samuel Courtauld chaired Halstead Union.

And now, the building has been placed on the market, for £575,000 to accompany the change of use application.

Jim Davis, of Halstead History Society, said: “I believe it was a union building for about 20 years.

“Back when Courtauld was in charge of the union and very influential, he set about getting it built.

“They used to hold their meetings in there, and store a lot of their archives.”

The site has had quite a history in the town since it was constructed as an Union Office in 1923.

Funding from the construction initially came from the sale of the union workhouse on Hedingham Road, which is now Halstead Community Hospital.

The building and adjoining former ambulance station came under the control of Essex County Council in March 1930, to be used as Halstead RDC offices, holding archives from the area and later as a clinic in association with the adjoining Goldthorne House and Ambulance Station.

The site was sold in 1993 to be used as a nursery, until it closed on May 29.

The applicant claims that very little internal alteration would be needed, allowing the site to retain the external character of the building.

The building is advertised as a property “of fine stature with excellent period features, wide stair case and high ceilings.”

According to the application it could be converted to a house, or a number of flats. It said: “It would also make a superb opportunity for residential house or possibly flats subject to obtaining the necessary permissions.”