THE site of a former town police station and magistrates court could become a new retirement development.

Plans to build a four-storey retirement home on the former Bingley Police Station site have been submitted to Bradford Council by Leeds based Roche Retirement Living.

Located on Main Street, the town centre site has been vacant since the station and court buildings were demolished in late 2018.

But those buildings had already been vacant for years' before that, leading to calls for something to be done with such a prominent site.

The planning application is to construct retirement living accommodation that would include 45 apartments, as well as a residents lounge, dining area and hair salon.

There would also be communal garden space.

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The application points out how close the complex would be to town centre shops and facilities such as Bingley Rail Station, as well as bus stops.

The closure of the court building - which operated as Keighley Magistrates Court, was announced as part of a cull of 157 courts nationwide in 2010.

It shut its doors in 2011, but was not put on the market for another three years, leading to frustration from local politicians including Shipley MP Philip Davies.

Plans to demolish the building were revealed by the new buyer Cox 22 Ltd, in 2018 after they claimed the building was in a "very poor state of repair."

The announcement led to some Bingley residents voicing concern that the town was losing its heritage.

There were fears the site could be used for a supermarket.

The application for the retirement homes says the central location will "provide positive opportunities for socio-economic interaction for future residents."

It adds: "Being in close proximity to the town centre, the scheme is highly sustainable, allowing residents easy access to local amenities. "The form, scale and design of the proposed retirement living will complement the immediate environment, maintaining the overall character of the area."

The apartments would be a mix of 10 one bed flats and 35 two-bed flats. The on site car park would have space for 28 vehicles.

Landscape officers at Bradford Council have described the site as "an important gateway to Bingley" and urged tree planting along the front of the development.

So far one person has written to the Council in support of the plans, saying: "At last something is happening to this site. I say the sooner the better."

A decision on the application is expected in April.