South Woodham town councillors are considering moving their offices to the old post office site in Heralds Way.

Members of Chelmsford Borough Council development control sub-committee approved a change of use proposal from the town council at a meeting on November 9, and town councillors are now considering buying the property from the post office.

Town clerk Peggy Carter said the council was tentatively looking at buying the building - which has a sale price of £95,000 - because of the lack of disabled access in the current offices in Reeves Way.

The building, at 14-18 Heralds Way, was the town's post office from 1981 to 1993, and became a temporary police station from 1993 to 1995, before the new police station was opened.

Committee members said they recognised the fact that the building was originally earmarked for retail use only, and agreed to safeguard the "retail vitality" of South Woodham Ferrers town centre in the future.

Councillors will be considering whether or not to buy the building, which has been on the market for around three years, at their next full meeting on December 8.

A spokesman for Royal Mail Counters said: "This concerns a former post office building that is leased from Essex County Council until the year 2009. I can confirm there has been an inquiry from South Woodham Town Coun-cil."

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