Former Leeds children’s centre sold to secret buyer after failed auction
The site was valued at £250,000
An buyer has been found for a former Leeds children’s centre following a failed attempt to sell the building at auction.
Leeds City Council is set to agree a private sale of Gipton South Children’s Centre after no bids were received.
Services provided from the site on Coldcotes Grove were moved to the nearby Dame Fanny Waterman Centre and Osmondthorpe Children’s Centre.
The move was decided as part of a children’s centres shake-up which would see 18 other sites close.
Gipton South was one of 31 services the council decided to keep open, but the building itself was deemed too expensive to maintain.
A Leeds City Council report said: “The property went to auction on January 27 but the reserve price was not met and no offer were received at auction.
“Post auction offers were received.”
It was hoped a sale of the site, valued at more than £250,000, would see it converted for residential use and free the council of paying for its maintenance.
The report said: “The property will be developed and will contribute to sustainable growth in an evolving area that has seen regeneration over several years with the introduction of shopping parks and attractive residential developments.
“This disposal will alleviate the council of various operational running costs in keeping the building open, as well as realising a capital receipt in the form of a sale.
“The former children’s centre will be costly to keep in a state of good repair.”
Both the sale price and name of the new buyer were being kept private by the council.
A council spokesperson said: “Gipton South Children’s Centre went to auction on January 27, 2026, and did not sell.
“However a sale has been agreed outside auction and is progressing subject to contract.
“We will provide an update on this process in due course but at present cannot give further information for reasons of commercial confidentiality.”