A plan has been submitted to bring a vacant and empty old town centre office back into use as a home.

The building is on St George’s Road, close to Bolton town centre, and has been empty for some time.

Now, the proposal made just last week will aim to turn it into a house and has already earned a positive reception.

Cllr Richard Silvester, who represents the area on Bolton Council, said: “This building is presently a vacant and empty property.

“Its conversion into a residential dwelling will bring this building back into use and provide a habitable home close to Bolton town centre which is within 10 minutes’ walk from the location.

“It is located on good transport links with bus routes and bus stops into Bolton town centre, Horwich and beyond within a minute's walk.

“I believe this will be a good use of this stone-built property which was most likely a residential dwelling before its conversion into an office/business premises.”

Bolton town centre has already become well known for a series of new housing developments including major projects like the remaking of Moor Lane bus station into flats and the “Neighbourhood Bolton” scheme to build homes across four sites.

There have also been several smaller scale projects proposed in the area, like the St George’s Road plan.

As well as Cllr Silvester, who represents the Queens Park and Central area that includes the town centre, the plan for the new house on St George’s Road has also attracted approving comments from council officers.

A statement from the council’s highways and engineering department said: “Acting on the extant use associated with the premises and its town centre, sustainable location then no reasonable objections on highway grounds to what is being proposed under this application.”

The plans were put before Bolton Council on Friday June 30 and will be up for neighbourhood consultations until Tuesday July 25 to give people in the surrounding area the opportunity to have their say about the proposal.

Once the consultation period has passed, the authority will then aim to decide whether or not to approve the plans by Friday August 25.