Historic buildings ‘at risk’ as sell-offs launched

HUNDREDS of historic buildings across the Yorkshire region could be at risk of dereliction as councils sell them off in the face of budget cuts, heritage experts have warned.

Buildings already sold include Conisbrough Priory and the former Arksey village school in Doncaster, Settle Town Hall and both Brierley Hall and Wombwell Town Hall in Barnsley.

According to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), the sales could “well become something of a gamble.”

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Secretary Philip Venning added: “While there may be some positive outcomes, SPAB is deeply concerned that great swathes of the nation’s built heritage will face an uncertain future under new ownership – or will simply be mothballed.”

Mr Venning said that, while councils had always sold off surplus historic properties, “a steadily increasing number of such buildings is likely to hit the market as savage spending cuts mean their disposal becomes unavoidable”.

The chief executive of the Architectural Heritage Fund, Ian Lush, said: “The number of historic buildings being declared redundant by public sector owners exceeds the number of community groups and commercial developers able to take them on.”

The listed Conisbrough Priory, which had a guide price of £275,000, was sold at an auction on Tuesday, February 15.

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Doncaster Council’s director of regeneration and environment, Peter Dale, said: “We also sold a grade two listed former village school in Arksey on the same day.

“Both properties were surplus to the council’s requirements and represented liabilities to the council. There are also plans in place to sell Thorne Hall as part of our ongoing disposal programme.”

According to Craven Council, it is set to sell Settle Town Hall to a trust as it costs £38,000 to run each year. It is estimated that the 19th century building needs at least £1m of renovation to bring it up to a “suitable standard for use.”

So far, Barnsley Council has sold property including the listed Brierley Hall for £650,000 and Wombwell Town Hall, which has a listed war memorial, for £160,000.