Conwy Police Station will be ‘relocated’ to office space and a flat above the town’s Tourist Information Centre, following a unanimous decision by the council’s planning committee.

The Police Station on Lancaster Square has operated as a reduced service for over a decade but maintained a prominent spot in the town centre.

North Wales Police applied for a change of use for the area at the Mauriau Building on Rose Hill Street for the new station, which includes vacant council office space and an empty flat.

Police will now move from the current grade-two listed station a few hundred yards away to the council-owned building, which also houses the Tourist Information Centre.

Speaking at the planning committee meeting, Cllr Ken Stevens said he had some worries about the future of the ‘old’ police station.

“I just wonder what is going to happen to the old building because it’s a bit of a landmark, isn’t it?” said Cllr Stevens.

Cllr Andrew Hinchliff said: “Is that currently our Tourist Information Office?”

He added: “Can I have a flat in one of the cells then? If we’ve got plans to move our Tourist Information office, which I’m presuming we have, then I’ll propose the planning (application is approved).”

Principal planning officer Dave Watson informed Cllr Hinchliff that the Tourist Information Office would remain.

The new police station will house seven full-time staff and include vehicle parking. The phone outside the current police station will also be moved from the old station.

In their application to the planning committee, North Wales Police project manager Ian Poole said barred windows would be hidden.

“The bars cannot be seen from the outside of the building,” he wrote.

“The windows have film on them so you can’t see inside the room – I think CCBC last had the post office in that room, and you can’t see inside the room from outside.”