Pudsey Town Hall denied protected status with sale of historic building to continue
Last year more than 1,000 people signed a petition against the sale of the vacant building.
A bid to secure protected status for a historic former town hall has been turned down by the city council.
Pudsey Town Hall, which is up for sale, would have been listed as an asset of community value (ACV) if the nomination was successful.
The status means the sale of a building can be paused and a community group given time to draw up a bid to buy it.
Leeds City Council said the application from Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) did not meet the ACV criteria.
Last year more than 1,000 people signed a petition against the sale of the vacant building.
A council report said councillors Simon Seary, Dawn Seary and Trish Smith supported the application from the CIC, a volunteer-led group.
It said: “They state that Pudsey Town Hall is a prominent civic landmark in the heart of Pudsey and a focal point of community identity, belonging and local pride.
“It is embodied in its internal heritage spaces, especially the council chamber and mayor’s parlour, together with associated civic rooms, historic circulation spaces and long-standing fixed features.”
The council said it could not be demonstrated that the building had recently been used for community activities.
The report said: “The actual use of the building was last as office space for council staff, with the last team being relocated to alternative accommodation in 2019.”
The four-storey hall, built around 1890, is on the market after Leeds City Council said the building was costing too much to maintain.
The report said part of the hall was sometimes used for storage and events by Pudsey Civic Society.
It said: “However, this is understood to be the extent of any use for purposes other than office space and is not in any way substantive