GAZETTE & HERALD: THE future of the former Calne fire and ambulance station will be discussed by councillors this week.

The Patford Street building, which is attached to the town hall, was legally transferred from the former Calne Borough Council to North Wiltshire District Council in 1974.

The transfer happened after local government reorganisation in 1974.

The town hall remained the property of the town council. North Wiltshire District Council asked it if it would like to buy the building back as part of the town hall complex.

Town Clerk Ann Kingdon said the council considered the purchase but decided the cost of refurbishment would be too costly.

She said: "We employed a building surveyor to look at it and they took photographs of all the defects and what would need doing. We were given a figure of the costs and the council decided it was too high."

The district council executive committee will be meeting tonight to discuss the building. Members will be informed of the town council's refusal to buy the freehold of the two buildings and will discuss what to do next.

Town and district councillor John Ireland said he feels the building should belong to the people of Calne.

"We could either see the ambulance station being sold for housing or offices right in the very heart of our town hall complex," he said.