PERMISSION has been granted for the conversion of a Leominster hall which a civic group believed was shrouded in 'hidden history'.

An application to convert the ground and first floors of Brook Hall, on Broad Street, into four self-contained flats has been approved by Herefordshire Council.

The ground floor of the building had previously been used for meetings while the first floor is currently a three-bedroom flat. The second floor, also a flat, is unaffected.

Leominster Civic Society objected to the scheme on the basis that, if approved, it could result in history hidden at one of the town's most historic buildings being lost forever.

However, the plans have now been approved, with conditions.