Senior Solihull councillors have agreed the next step towards the town centre being able to retain a police station.

As first reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) a developer has lodged plans with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) to demolish West Midlands Police's current Homer Road station to make way for a five-storey office building.

That proposal had been fought for years by campaigners fearing Solihull would lose a permanent police station.

But earlier this month it emerged Solihull Police Station could move to The Priory on Church Hill Road, which is part of the council site.

At the authority's latest cabinet meeting councillors discussed entering into a long lease with West Midlands Police on the building.

Councillors were told the building had been vacant for 10 years and would require the Conservative-led council to bring the property up to ""energy efficiency standards" with officers now looking for grant funding to support that work.

Cllr Ken Hawkins, who was formerly a West Midlands Police inspector before retiring, said: "This has been going on since 2018.

"I think the police lost the chance to save a lot of money by taking this long to get this far.

"We know the (current) station isn't fit for what police require – it is important this new building does fit what Solihull police and the public demand."

Officer Peter Carroll, the authority's head of strategic land and property, said: "In the police published strategy they do commit to maintain a full service provision for Solihull.

"The proposals for The Priory are for a neighbourhood policing facility and front facing customer desk, so there will be response officers at The Priory.

"But the blue light response, the proposal as we understand it, is to station that at Winchcombe Road where police already have another premises."

Cllr Wazma Qais said: "I fully support this, it is great news for us and reassuring for Solihull residents."

Cllr Samantha Gethen, the leader of the Reform group on the authority, said: "The devil is in the detail, it will be good to know what (West Midlands Police) are planning to do from that building, opening hours and such.

"More than happy with what has been proposed – if the police believe this building is sufficient to keep within Solihull then we've got to go with that."

SMBC's leader Karen Grinsell said: "This is a really good news story for all of us.

"A lot of hard work has been done over a number of years by councillors and officers to get us to this position.

"I'm hopefully everybody is agreement we precede with this arrangement with the police and they get it open as soon as possible.

"We are very much hoping it will be spring time next year, which will be good."

The leader went on to formally approve entering the agreement for leasehold disposal and to undertake a programme of works for refurbishment to create a shell specification.

And it was also agreed the council undertake internal fit-out works on behalf of West Midlands Police, subject to the police reimbursing the full cost.

The meeting was held at the Civic Suite on July 23.