Leeds City Council's short-sighted decision to sell historic Temple Newsam asset - YEP letters

Leeds City Council is facing a serious challenge with its finances due to the pandemic but it does not excuse selling off our crown jewels.

In October, without any public consultation, the Labour council administration agreed to sell the East Lodge – one of the pair of Grade II listed gatehouses to Temple Newsam – in order to balance their books.

This was one reason why I requested formal scrutiny into the decision to sell the leasehold for the historic lodge.

Unfortunately the request was rejected by Labour councillors in the past fortnight (“Major blow for fight to keep 270-year-old Leeds building in public hands”, as reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post, on January 20).

However, in September, councillors also rubber-stamped borrowing at least £4.8 million to spend on non-essential projects on the estate, despite the same budget pressures.

Built in 1742, the lodges at the North Gate are a valuable part of the history of both Temple Newsam and the city of Leeds.

They also formed part of Capability Brown’s 1762 masterplan for the remodelling of the estate.

Since the current proposal was made public, more than 1,250 people have signed a public petition fighting the sale (www.change.org/SaveEastLodge) and this clearly shows the strength of feeling in the community.

If my Labour colleagues want to uphold transparency in their decision-making, the people we represent should have the opportunity to air their views and have their say.

The year 2022 will officially mark a century since Lord Halifax sold the estate and lodges to the citizens of Leeds for the purpose of a public park and preserving our local history.

This is a short-sighted decision to sell a historic asset whose true value is much greater than the price the council will get at auction.