Kidderminster Grade II-listed building and bus station bought

The purchase will enable the district council to deliver a facility that included new food and drink spaces, it says

An empty Grade II-listed building in Kidderminster and the bus station next door have been bought by a council.

The purchase includes the Piano site, paid for through a £17.9m grant from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

Food and drink spaces are planned for the ground floor with offices on the three floors above, and work is due to be finished by spring 2025.

Wyre Forest District Council said there were no anticipated changes to the way the bus station operates.

But the authority added it recognised "the need for visual and cleanliness improvements" and was "looking at this now".

Leader Marcus Hart said the acquisition represented "another key part" of the regeneration of the town centre.

The council was "very pleased" to have completed this part of the project, which would "see this important town centre heritage asset being brought back to life", he added.

There were no anticipated changes to the way the bus station operates, the council said

There was firm interest from potential occupiers, the authority said.

The cabinet had earlier agreed to proceed with buying the building and bus station from owners Nuveen, with the acquisition completed this week.