Keighley Town Council plans to buy the old Keighley police station and turn it into a civic centre.

The empty building on North Street would house town council offices, mayoral chambers and councillors’ surgeries.

It could also have a restaurant and tourist information centre and host weddings, conferences, business meetings, family parties and community events.

Students from the Keighley Campus of Leeds City College could help some of the services as work experience.

Regular services in the building could include housing, debt management, legal services and business development.

The West Yorkshire Police Museum, for many years in Bradford, could also move into the complex.

Proposals to buy the former police station will be put before the full 30-member council tonight for approval.

The plans call for the council to take out loans to cover the cost of buying the building and bringing it back into use.

Running costs would be covered by hiring out rooms and the council saving money on its own accommodation costs.

The aim is for the civic centre to become self-financing and councillors stress there would be little, if any, increase in council tax.

The town council said that many organisations and businesses were interested in using the building.

The plan has been drawn up by the council’s special projects co-ordinator Alan Parry, with input from a small group of councillors.

The remaining councillors were last month informed about the plans in readiness for tonight’s discussion.

The full council will be asked to grant permission for officers to enter the final phase of proposals, negotiating a final purchase price and a detailed business plan.

Councillors and the people of Keighley will be consulted over the next few weeks, then on July 7 a special council meeting will be held to decide whether to go ahead with buying the building.

The police station, which also houses the former Keighley magistrates court, was replaced in 2006 by a new police station on Royd Ings Avenue.

The North Street building was leased from the Duke of Devonshire’s estate, with a covenant allowing it only to be used for civic policing.

Mr Parry said he had held positive discussions with Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police Authority and the Duke of Devonshire’s Estate, as well as architects.

He said several public bodies and businesses had agreed to rent space in the building or use it to provide services to local people. Ian Wilson, the new Keighley town mayor, said the police station would solve the town council’s own accommodation problems while helping many other organisations.

He said: “We need space because we’re the second biggest town in the district. “We would like a focal point for Keighley people - all working together for the good of the town.”

Mr Parry believed the cost of buying and running the building could be covered, with profits reinvested for future development and community projects.

He added: “The civic centre will be an excellent opportunity for the town council to promote and administer the services it provides to its communities on a larger scale than ever before.”