SPECULATIVE plans are being made by Helsby Parish Council to purchase the recently closed Co-op convenience store and turn it into the organisation’s permanent headquarters.

The former community store building has been put up for sale for about £200,000 and the parish council sees the Chester Road site as an 'excellent base' and visited the two-storey corner shop on Tuesday.

Helsby Parish Council clerk Jeanette Hughes said: “The time is right to starting looking in earnest for offices, and the more it can incorporate the better.

“We could use it for all our meetings, storage, offices for the council, and instead of having to go to Winsford people could come in and view plans there.

“We could get a Citizen’s Advice Bureau representative in there, a PCSO’s office and if services are devolved we would need somewhere like that.

“It would be a community asset, the community would own the building.”

Clerk Jeanette cannot fit any more council-related clutter in her home and councillors have been forced to hold all their meetings at the Community Centre library on Lower Robin Hood Lane since 1979.

“At the moment the base is my home, we’re up to capacity, we couldn’t get any more in,” added Jeanette.

“I won’t be clerk forever and we have got to keep paper work , a photocopier, a computer, equipment, it’s everything.

“The parish council has existed for 100 years and there’s no reason why it won’t be around for another 100 years.

“We need a base longer term and it’s a good sized building.”

In 2006 the parish council received planning permission for a £50,000 extension to the community centre and it has been promised an office in the headquarters of the Helsby Sports and Social Club if the redevelopment goes ahead.

“We have always looked at other possibilities, and Helsby Sports and Social Club have always promised faithfully that the building included an office for the council, but that’s just an office.

“The Co-op site could be an excellent base for the parish council to have everything in a permanent place.

“We’re trying not to get too enthusiastic, but it all comes down to funds.”