By John Baron
Leeds City Council has declared Pudsey Town Hall ‘surplus to requirements’ and will progress with the sale of the historic building.
As revealed by WLD in July, the council is looking to sell the building – which dates back to 1879 – as it aims to raise money to balance its books. It says maintaining the building costs thousands of pounds a year.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are currently in the process of reviewing advice from Lambert Smith Hampton on the sale of Pudsey Town Hall after it was declared surplus to our operational requirements in September.
“The decision to progress with the sale comes after a significant amount of time working with ward members and the Community Interest Company to try and find an alternative solution, unfortunately no viable way forward was found.
“We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the discussion about the future of Pudsey Civic Hall and we will aim to keep those involved updated as developments progress.”
The Robin Lane building was the headquarters of Pudsey Urban District Council from 1912-1974. The council chamber remains preserved for educational purposes. The building also used to house Pudsey Magistrates’ Court and the housing office.
Leeds City Council sources point to 15 years of underfunding from central government and the rising cost of caring for vulnerable people for their need to raise money. They are already predicting a £30 million overspend this financial year.
Councillors Simon and Dawn Seary (Cons, Pudsey) said: “We are deeply disappointed that Leeds City Council has decided to progress with the sale of Pudsey Town Hall, a much-loved landmark that has stood at the heart of our community for generations.
“Hundreds of residents have signed our petition to save the Town Hall, but despite repeated calls from us and local residents to explore genuine alternatives, the Labour-run council has now declared the building ‘surplus to requirements’ and is pressing ahead with disposal.
“We have always supported the idea of a community group taking on the building and had hoped that the Pudsey Town Hall CIC, originally led by former Conservative Cllr Trish Smith, would deliver a sustainable plan, protecting the historic council chamber and providing a home for Pudsey Civic Society.
“Unfortunately, after four years and very little communication with the community, the project inevitably failed – costing the council thousands of pounds and, more importantly, valuable time that could have been spent developing a viable business case to actually save the building.
“We specifically asked council officers to explore all options, including moving the Pudsey Library and Community Hub into the ground floor of the Town Hall and repurposing the old library site as a children’s soft-play area, but sadly, these ideas were not taken forward. Money is tighter than ever after 15 months of the Labour Government, and local communities like ours are paying the price.”
Pudsey Town Hall CIC — a volunteer-led, not-for-profit group made up of members of the local community — says it has worked to create a robust, fully costed business plan to revive the building as a community asset.
In partnership with Pudsey & District Civic Society, the CIC’s vision was to bring the Town Hall back into daily community use, safeguard its Edwardian council chamber and historic interiors, and provide a permanent home for local groups.
Councillor Trish Smith (Ref, Pudsey) said: “Naturally, I am deeply disappointed that Leeds City Council has decided to proceed with the sale of Pudsey Town Hall.
“As one of Pudsey’s most historic and iconic buildings, I believed — and still believe — that it deserves a future rooted in community use, civic pride and accessibility for all. I personally dedicated considerable time and effort, working with a dedicated team at the Community Interest Company, to explore and present viable alternatives.
“I consider the level of personal abuse deliberately stirred up against me [on Facebook] to be completely unnecessary and unacceptable. Cllr Seary consistently refused to engage with me over the future of the town hall despite many opportunities while I was still a member of the same political party.
“There was ample opportunity for him to work with me and/or the CIC but he chose not to.
“That said, the CIC and I have not given up. We are still working to explore any and all remaining avenues that could keep this building in the hands of the community. We recognise the scale of the challenge — particularly in light of the council’s financial position — but we remain open to meaningful dialogue and partnership.
“I am grateful to everyone in Pudsey who continues to support our collective vision for this building. Together, we will continue to fight for a future that reflects our town’s heritage and meets the needs of its people.”
A residents’ led petition opposing the closure of Pudsey Town Hall received more than 1,250 names.
Leeds City Council last week told WLD that no final decision has been taken on the future of Pudsey Civic Hall, which is also facing proposed closure.
- WLD has been following local and national government cuts in West Leeds via its Cutswatch series here.
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