PERSHORE Heritage Centre looks set to move with the town council into Pershore's former post office building.

The move, which has been on the cards since the town council bought the High Street building in January, is a step closer this week following a series of meetings between town councillors and architects.

The council is planning to spend £450,000 converting the former post office, which has been empty since the post office moved to Dillons, into a new council chamber and town hall.

Following a meeting with the History and Heritage Society last week, there is now a possibility the heritage centre will also move.

The centre is currently based with the town council at Belle House in Bridge Street, but moving would give it much more room.

Town clerk Chris Neal said: "Those members of the History and Heritage Society who went for a tour of the former post office building are in favour of moving. It will double their space for the heritage centre."

The district valuer has now been requested to prepare valuations of the council's buildings.

The council anticipates selling off Belle House and St Agatha's Hall in Head Street, which would enable it to fund the conversion and retain healthy cash reserves.

Councillors are now having a special meeting early in September to consider the final budget for the refurbishment so the Bromyard-based architects, McMorran and Gatehouse, can draw up their plans.

At the same meeting, councillors will consider moving the heritage centre and other technical details. Their decisions will be reported back to the full town council at its meeting on September 21.

It is expected a planning application will be made for the former post office building in the early autumn.