Council sells building at auction despite local opposition campaign

When the Council announced the plans to sell the nineteenth century building to the highest bidder in October, Liberal Democrat councillor Conrad Hart-Brooke described it as a “betrayal”.

“The Labour-run council wouldn’t dream of selling off Leeds Civic Hall, so why is it OK to auction off our heritage in communities like ours?”, he said.

The local group Friends of Rothwell Civic Enterprise (FORCE) formed in 2017 to try and take over the building and turn it into a community space and social enterprise. However, the Council said the group’s plans for the building did not meet its standards.

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “Friends of Rothwell Civic Enterprise were given the opportunity over a five-year period to bring forward a business plan for a Community Asset Transfer. Unfortunately, the proposal put forward did not meet the Council’s approved Community Asset Transfer Policy.”

The Council has a number of properties listed for sale at present, including the former Council offices at Adams Court, which is set for auction on 31 January 2024, with a guide price of £750,000 - £800,000.

The Council’s spokesperson added: “The widely reported funding shortfall that we and all councils face means we have had to make difficult decisions such as considering the sale of every building in the council estate.

“The offices have been included within the council’s Capital Receipts Programme since January 2020 and we are pleased to have secured a capital receipt for their sale, which will support the council’s efforts to manage our financial pressures.”

Also available for purchase are a plot of land at Whinmoor Fields next to the A6120, and a single-storey building that was previously part of Beeston St Francis of Assisi School. The latter’s guide price is £50,000 plus fees.