Plans for a new £1.7 million cat adoption centre at Wrexham’s old fire station site have been unveiled.

Cats Protection’s Wrexham adoption centre could move to the town’s former fire station in Bradley Road as the charity looks to boost the number of local cats and kittens it can help to around 500 a year.

The charity has outgrown its present adoption centre in Madeira Hill and believes the old fire station site is ideal for a new state-of-the-art centre with excellent facilities for felines in need of new owners.

If planning permission is granted by Wrexham Council, demolition of the old fire station could start next year, with the £1.7 million centre up and running by spring 2019.

Proposals for the new adoption centre will go on display to the public at an information day at Eagles Meadow on June 22 next week between 11.30am and 2pm.

Cats Protection project manager Catherine Hodson said they hoped as many people as possible would drop by to the see the proposals, meet staff and find out how beneficial the new adoption centre would be.

She said: “Our present adoption centre rehomes just over 300 cats a year but is too small and cramped to meet the needs of the region’s cats and cat owners.

“Our new adoption centres are designed to very high standards to be the best possible environment for cats and kittens while they’re waiting for adoption.

“The number of pens would increase from 30 to 48. The pens themselves are larger and offer a more fulfilling environment for the cats while they’re awaiting their new owners.

“For example, we will plant shrubs and bushes between the pens to attract butterflies and bees because cats love to watch them.

“We also expect that cats will be homed more quickly because the new centre would be in a more central location in town and will have more visitors.”

Staff numbers would increase from five to 7.4 full time equivalents and there will also be opportunities for more than 40 volunteers who play a vital role in running adoption centres.

Cats Protection’s Wrexham adoption centre is part of a national network of over 34 centres and 250 volunteer-run branches that help around 190,000 cats and kittens each year.

The Bradley Road fire station closed last year when the new ambulance and fire service centre opened in Croesnewydd Road.