RESIDENTS have reacted furiously to the news that Halstead Town Council turned down a free offer to move to the town’s former police station.

John de Bruyne, who bought Townsford Mill, offered to purchase the former police station site on Trinity Street, which closed last year, after giving the local authority until next March to vacate the site.

A separate businessman also offered an empty High Street store to the council, free of rent.

The town council could not commit to the police station, with Mr de Bruyne asking for a ten-year contract.

One resident, who asked not to be named due to working closely with the council, said: “I don’t understand really.

“This is a council who we hear constantly moan about money, but they can turn down offers of free offices?

“The police station would be a perfect site, it is central in town, a large site, and it would bring it back into community use. We all love Queen’s Hall, and it is used so much within the community.”

With construction on the Butler Road Community Centre due to start this year, the town council is aiming to relocate as soon as work is complete, although that is likely to be another five years.

A spokesman for Halstead Town Council said: “The town council held many meetings to look at the possibilities in town.

“The police station had seemed a good idea, but because we have the possibility of the new community centre being built, we cannot commit for that period of time. The police station was not an easy solution, it would have required a lot of work inside, and in line with our current budget efforts, moving to Queen’s Hall will drastically reduce the town council’s expenditure.”