AMBITIOUS plans to buy Haslemere Police Station and make it a permanent town market have been abandoned because it has proved impossible to find a partner commercial developer.

Haslemere Vision successfully applied to Waverley Borough Council for the landmark West Street property – which has stood empty for more than two years – to be declared a community asset. The protected status gave the group six months to put together a bid when the police station went on sale at the end of last year, but it had to match competitive commercial offers.

The front runner was a scheme to maximise the building's central location and create a permanent covered market, funded by new homes erected on site by a partner commercial developer. But Haslemere Vision revealed the plans had fallen through this week.

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