HALSTEAD’S former police station is set to be turned into flats, after planning officers recommended a bid to redevelop the building be approved.

A private developer applied to convert Halstead Police Station, in Trinity Street, into five apartments in August.

The plans have now been recommended for approval by Braintree Council officers.

A report states: “The proposal is an acceptable form of development which can be satisfactorily accommodated on site.

“The development does not give rise to an unacceptable impact to the street scene, but instead would enhance its appearance and bring a vacant building back in to beneficial use, of benefit to the character and appearance of the conservation area in which it is sited.

“Furthermore as discussed above there is no unacceptable impact on the amenity of neighbour properties and the Essex Highways raise no objections.”

The front counter of the station in Trinity Street was closed to the public in March last year and the building was formally vacated and closed in August.

The decision to close the police station was made after research carried out over two separate months showed 259 people visited Halstead’s front counter and of those only four people visited to report a crime.

This compares with Braintree which received 2,460 visits during the same period.

At a public meeting in Halstead on September 7, police and crime commissioner Roger Hirst denied that the closure of the town’s police station was contributing to crime such as anti-social behaviour in Kings Road park, saying it would “not have made any difference”.

Plans will be discussed at a meeting of Braintree Council’s planning committee on Tuesday.