THE mayor of Wantage said he was amazed after a retirement apartments scheme for the town was approved.

Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee voted to approve the scheme on Wednesday by six votes to five.

Renaissance Retirement hopes to begin demolishing the former Wantage Police Station and magistrates’ court ion Church Street in two months, and have 32 retirement flats in their place in 12 months.

Wantage Town Council has been fighting the scheme because a survey commissioned by the Vale council concluded that was the only area Wantage town centre could expand into.

But the Vale’s planning officers told the committee there were no planning grounds to refuse building retirement apartments there. They also said the draft Wantage Neighbourhood Plan, which recommends expanding the commercial town centre in that direction, was at too early a stage to be a valid planning consideration.

Mayor StJohn Dickson, who spoke against the plans to the committee, said after the vote: “I’m amazed, I’m too emotional to speak really .”

The town council had hoped to demolish the police station buildings and promote a scheme creating a car park new shops.

Renaissance Retirement managing director Robert Taylor said: “We’re delighted with the decision. We can build something Wantage will be proud of. There are a lot of people in favour of this.”