Pudsey Town Hall: More than 1,000 residents sign petition to stop closure of ‘symbol of our civic pride’ in Leeds
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition against the possible sale of a town’s historic municipal building.
Leeds City Council confirmed it is looking at options for the sale or Pudsey Town Hall.
The cash-strapped authority said it was costing thousands of pounds a year to maintain the vacant building, which dates back to the late 19th century.
An online petition calling for a halt to the sale and public consultation on the hall’s future has been signed by 1,050 people.
The petition website said: “This is more than just bricks and mortar.
“Pudsey Town Hall is a symbol of our civic pride, our local heritage, and our community’s identity.”
The petition also calls for the creation of a Pudsey Town Council to take on political decision-making in the west Leeds town.
Built in 1880, the Robin Lane building was the headquarters of Pudsey Urban District Council from 1912-1974.
Non-profit Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) has been drawing up plans for future use of the building.
But a spokesperson for the city council, which must save more than £100m this financial year, said: “The council can confirm it has decided to explore available options for the sale of Pudsey Town Hall.
“The decision to now explore a possible sale has not been taken lightly but, given our well-documented financial challenges, we must continuously assess all options for our city-wide portfolio of properties.
“Those same challenges mean we are not in a position to indefinitely sustain the cost of maintaining a vacant building, which for the last financial year alone ran into five figures.”