A PLAN to turn Wantage’s former police station into sheltered housing has been criticised as a waste of potential commercial space.

Police vacated the building in Church Street, which also used to house Wantage Magistrates’ Court, in March.

Churchill Retirement Living has exchanged contracts with Thames Valley Police to buy the building, subject to getting planning permission. It wants to demolish it and create 45 flats for the elderly.

John Naish, president of Wantage and District Chamber of Commerce, said: “The commercial centre of Wantage depicted on previous Local Plans wasn’t big enough.

“We wanted a presumption in favour of commercial sites. We don’t want any more flats.

“If you fill possible employment sites in the town with residential and build all the new houses planned we’ll have an imbalance.”

Vale of White Horse District Council is developing its Local Plan which lays out sites for 5,500 new homes in Wantage and Grove before 2029.

But the only new employment space proposed is six hectares at Monk’s Farm. The sheltered flats would only create one job.

The council will consider the application on August 13.