Sale of 19th century empty town hall in Leeds set to go ahead despite petition
The sale of an empty town hall building looks set to go ahead despite opposition to the move.
Leeds City Council said it had consulted property agents on the future of Pudsey Town Hall after declaring it surplus to requirements.
In July, more than 1,000 people signed a petition calling for sale plans for the 19th century building to be halted.
The authority, which must save more than £100m this financial year, said no alternative could be found.
A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are currently in the process of reviewing advice from Lambert Smith Hampton on the sale of Pudsey Town Hall after it was declared surplus to our operational requirements in September.”
Built in 1880, the Robin Lane building was the headquarters of Pudsey Urban District Council from 1912 to 1974.
Non-profit Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) was drawing up plans for future use of the building.
The council said the vacant building was costing tens of thousands of pounds a year to maintain.
The spokesperson added: “The decision to progress with the sale comes after a significant amount of time working with ward members and the CIC to try and find an alternative solution.
“Unfortunately no viable way forward was found.”
Proceeding with the sale would be classed as a “key decision” for the council, meaning a financial impact of more than £500,000.
The spokesperson said: “We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the discussion about the future of Pudsey Civic Hall and we will aim to keep those involved updated as developments progress.”
The petition against the sale also called for the creation of a Pudsey Town Council to take on political decision making in the town.