Property: Former building society HQ on market

Permanent Building, constructed in Art Deco style in the 1930s, served as the building society's headquarters until the organisation fell victim to the international financial crisis.

It had invested 10m in an Icelandic bank which failed and was forced to merge with the Yorkshire Building Society to avoid putting its own financial security at risk.

Although the Barnsley Building Society name remains, the headquarters staff were either moved to the Yorkshire's base or made redundant.

Now the building, on the corner of Church Street and Regent Street, is on the market and expected to fetch more than 1m.

It has the potential to be used as a restaurant, bar, offices or for shop use, according to the agents selling it. However there are currently two interested parties and each would seek to keep it as an administrative centre.

That means its internal features, including stained glass skylights, a wood panelled boardroom and period lift, would be likely to survive.

The building is not listed, although it is in a conservation area.

At one point, the National Union of Mineworkers showed an interest in acquiring the building to house a mining museum, but that plan never progressed.

The building was extensively renovated as recently as 2008, said Andrew Corbett from estate agents Smiths. The 2008 restoration was "tasteful", he said, with the building being more notable for its interior than its external appearance.