A PARISH council has prompted fury by bidding hundreds of thousands of pounds to purchase new offices that are not even worth that amount.

Iver Parish Council’s (IPC) decision to buy the police station in Iver High Street for £750,000 – confirmed as way above the valuation – has received a backlash from more than 200 residents.

The parish council’s offices currently occupy a building on the police station site.

A decision report from the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley Police, recommending the sale of the police station to the parish council as part of cost-cutting measures, was signed off by PCC Anthony Stansfeld on December 20 last year.

The report reads: “The site has been identified for disposal in the 2018/19 financial year as part of the Asset Management Plan, to coincide with an opportunity to terminate our lease with Iver Parish Council.“The parish council made an offer of £750,000 on an unconditional basis and with the offer of a “touchdown” facility for the neighbourhood policing teams.”

The report goes on to say that upon receipt of the offer, TVP had the property valued by two different agents, both of which “confirmed that the offer is well in excess of the market value”.

Iver residents have been left fuming at the lack of public consultation when such a large sum of public money will be spent. A petition against the acquisition of the police station has garnered more than 200 signatures since it was drawn up last week.

Debbie Batchelor, 50, of Swallow Street, said: “Why is it necessary to spend this much on a building that only a handful of people will have a permanent base in? Surely a rented single room with storage for files should suffice. Let the locals have a say, it is their money.”

Dean Clark, 42, of Iver Heath, said: “If a headquarters is necessary, there are cheaper options. This does not feel like a good use of taxpayers’ money, especially when the community in general is dirty, unloved and underfunded.”

Ben Mills, 31, of Croft Cottages, said: “A serious case of neglect is slowly deteriorating the village bringing it further into disrepute and the parish council seems to think expensive offices are a priority.”

In a statement on Thursday last week, Iver Parish Council said: “Iver Parish Council has made significant progress toward the potential purchase of the whole site as a community facility.”

When The Observer pressed the parish council to explain the lack of public consultation it refused to comment and said it would be making no further statements. Residents say they have also seen their demands for answers fall on deaf ears.