PORTISHEAD Police Station could soon be transformed into a nursery.

More than 60 new pre-school places could be created at the South Avenue premises when the Portishead police team relocates to the Valley Road headquarters.

Zoe Parsons, who runs Lake House Nursery in Beach Road West, has put in an offer on the building which was put up for sale in May. Her offer has been verbally accepted and she is now eagerly awaiting the outcome of a planning application for change of use.

The mum-of-two said: “Portishead has a growing shortage of nursery places and it breaks my heart having to turn parents away because Lake House is often running at full capacity.

“I get huge satisfaction providing quality day care for children in my home town and being able to give parents complete peace of mind, so when it was suggested I opened a second nursery I began exploring the possibilities.”

If Zoe gets the green light she plans to spend up to �100,000 refurbishing the premises, which also has outdoor space at the front and back of the building. The site has its own private car park but is also close to Waitrose and Lidl car parks.

Zoe added: “I can’t say too much about it because the whole thing is still at a commercially sensitive stage but we have some great plans and if we get the go-ahead I feel it will be a very positive move for Portishead families.”

Zoe opened Lake House Nursery in 2011 and it caters for children from three months to five years and includes a separate Moonbeams baby section and its own pre-school.

Zoe says that although she envisages registering the South Avenue nursery for the same age range, she hopes to concentrate on places for two to five-year-olds.