BURY Magistrates' Court could be transformed into apartments if new plans are given the go-ahead.

The courthouse, in Tenters Street, heard its last case in March 2017 before it was shut by The Ministry of Justice as part of plans to save more than £500,000 per year.

The site has remained empty ever since, but could now be converted into a block of 39 apartments.

Under the plans submitted to Bury Council by Welcome Estates Ltd, the development would include a mixture of one and two bedroom apartments, with developer Welcome Estates Ltd promising that the building's appearance would remain "largely unchanged".

Ten three-storey townhouses would also be built on the existing car park, facing out towards Jubilee Way.

The scheme also includes 46 car parking spaces and a gym on the ground floor of the apartment block.

A planning statement submitted along with the plans promises a mix of accommodation that it is hoped will appeal to "a broad range of people including families, couples, young professionals, key workers and older people".

The decision to close the court was taken by the then-Lord Chancellor, Michael Gove, after a report said it was being run at 51 per cent capacity, otherwise known as its 'utilisation rate'.

Following its closure, the court's services moved to Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, nine miles away in Manchester city centre.

Cases at Bury County Court were also moved to Manchester County Court, located within the Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Urban explorers have since been given permission to visit the desolate site.