Fight to steer lodge away from sell-off

A steering group has been formed to explore an alternative to selling off Londesborough Lodge, which has remained empty for three years despite council plans to sell it to developers.

The move comes after a public meeting on Friday, which was called by Scarborough Councillor Colin Challen amid fears the Grade II building is falling into a state of disrepair. It was agreed the building’s future role should be retained in the cultural sector, complementing the nearby Woodend Creative Industries Centre and the art gallery.

Coun Challen said: “In the current economic climate it looks unlikely the council would secure best value for taxpayers by selling it off, and indeed after the decision was made to sell it in 2006, there has been plenty of time to test that proposition. We now need to convince the council that it should have an open mind and take a serious look at alternative proposals which would keep this important building for public use.”

For years, the building was the administrative seat of Scarborough Council’s tourism arm.