CALLS are being made to turn the historic site of an old Droitwich factory into new homes, train station parking, green space and a visitor attraction for the town - amid fears it could attract unwanted development.

The old Baxendale Chemicals site has lay empty ever since its American-based owner closed the plant in 2013.

The land, off Union Lane near Droitwich Railway Station, is in the hands of US firm Chemtura and its future remains in the balance.

But the town's heritage watchdog is urging Droitwich Town Council to draw up a masterplan for the site's future to try and tempt investors to submit a planning application to get it back into use.

Civic society chairman George Leech says he fears the derelict old factory land, Netherwich basin and its surrounding properties could be made available for re-development without any council input, spurning a golden opportunity.

In the 1990s excavations on the land revealed historic items of potentially significant national importance relating to the salt production industry, including a room with wall paintings and a mosaic floor.

The society says the land could provide new, multiple uses including a visitor attraction based on the Roman mosaics, new, pleasant green access to the town centre and even some more train station parking if proper thought went into it.

Mr Leech said the onus should be on the council to create a blueprint before the land changes hands and developers eye it up for just commercial use.

"Time is short," he said.

"There are opportunities to improve facilities for the town including more station parking, easier and more pleasant accesses to the town centre, recreational facilities for example in the Netherwich basin area, visitor attractions in the Roman mosaics, commercial properties for employment, and housing on brownfield sites near the town centre.

"Without some local input, in a plan or guidance, we will be only to react to what the developers see is in their interest."

Councillor Richard Morris, who sits on the town council and Wychavon District Council, has agreed to press for some kind of a masterplan.

"We welcome the civic society's ideas and wish to work with them," he said.

"These are really important sites for Droitwich and whilst the Baxenden site is privately owned we will do what we can to influence development to have a positive effect."