PLANS to knock down an historic building in a conservation area and replace it with a three-storey apartment block have come under fire.

Quantity surveyors Deacon and Jones are seeking permission to knock down Deajon House opposite St Maxentius Church in Bolton Road, Bradshaw, and create seven apartments on the site.

They are also having to apply for conservation area consent because the building, which dates back to 1900 and has served as a police station and council offices in the past, is inside Bradshaw Chapel Conservation Area.

Bolton and District Civic Trust are among the objectors to the scheme and the plan is also being opposed by Turton Local History Society.

Trust chairman Brian Tetlow said: "This is a fine building in its own right. It is a substantial building with many interesting features and the fact that it is in a conservation area means it's obviously not appropriate to be talking about its demolition and the creation of so many flats."

The building was originally put up in 1900 and was the base for a sergeant and constable from Lancashire Constabulary, but the advent of the panda car in the 1960s meant it was no longer required so Bolton Council took it on as an area office.

It was finally sold to the present owners in 1978 but Jim Francis, of Turton Local History Society says it would be a tragedy if the building was to be demolished and replaced with modern flats.

"It is a terrible thing to do and worse to replace it with this aberration they have drawn up," he said.

Local resident Olive Kenyon is urging as many people as possible to write to the council opposing the scheme.

"This is a perfectly good, handsome building which sits comfortably in its surroundings in a conservation area," she said.

Planning consent has already been granted to Gleeson Homes for a 54 apartment unit at nearby Bradshaw Road with 64 parking spaces, subject to the developer paying some of the cost of improving traffic light arrangements.

But Bradshaw councillor Walter Hall is unhappy at what he believes will be the likely impact on traffic at the busy junction between Bolton Road, Bradshaw Road and Lea Gate if the latest scheme gets the go-ahead.

He said: "I'm not happy about it at all and I will be pushing for refusal.

"It would be sad to see the building go because it's had quite an interesting history but it's the traffic issue that concerns me.

"It's a very busy junction and it's just not the right place for apartments, and certainly not three-storey ones."

No one from Deacon and Jones was available for comment.

The application is expected to go before the council's planning committee on April 17.