MORE than 400 rookie officers will move into Harrogate if a revamp of the town's police training centre is approved.

The Home Office plans to demolish most of the training college in Yew Tree Lane, at Pannal Ash, and replace it with a complex of training, administration, hotel and sporting facilities.

Councillors debate the issues today but cannot reject the scheme. They can only raise objections and, as the Home Office has taken a fresh look at plans following a protest by local people, no major concerns are expected.

Opposition seems to have largely disappeared with development control officers reporting only three letters of protest, concerned mainly with road safety issues.

The complex, which was built as a training centre for recruits to northern forces, became the central planning unit for training, in 1974.

Now the wheel is to turn full with accommodation for 432 probationer students, 72 trainer trainees and 70 residential staff.

Council planning officer Mairi Lock said the expansion was needed to meet the Government's objective of improving the police service and the council should not stand in the way of progress.

But she said there would be an objection to an increase in traffic if no bus service was provided and if improvements were not made to the junction of the A61 Harrogate-Leeds road and Burn Bridge Lane, which would serve the college.