New council offices and community facilities are a step closer to being built in Bromyard.

Bromyard and Winslow Town Council voted to buy the old magistrates court and library, both on Church Street, from Herefordshire Council for £320,000 in July.

The council intends to convert the library into new offices and the court into a community and youth centre.

A working party for the project will hold its first meeting tomorrow (Saturday) to decide on planning and costing details.

Town clerk Mike Cresswell said: "We're still waiting for Hereford-shire Council to come up with the figures for the purchase at the moment, but we hope to get things underway as soon as possible.

"We've decided the old magistrates court is rather a beautiful room and could be used for receptions for the public to hire out.

"The library lends itself to be converted into two offices, a reception area and a council chamber."

He added that the refurbishment of the buildings was not an extensive project.

"There are little bits of work that need to be done with regard to disabled access," he said.

"We need to put up a couple of partitions and a doorway will need to be knocked through."

The council is eager to secure new premises, as its current rented office is due to be sold by Herefordshire Council.

The purchase of the two buildings would mean a rise in Council Tax from 2005/6 to repay a £320,000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board over 25 years.

"One or two people have voiced the opinion that they're not too happy with the money being spent on the buildings," said Mr Cresswell. "But overall most people are of the opinion that if the town council buys the buildings they will at least belong to the town."

He said the council would ideally like to be set up in the new offices next April if all goes to plan.

See Opinion, page 6.