By John Baron
Council chiefs have rejected a bid to list Pudsey Town Hall as an asset of community value by a community group fighting to preserve the building’s unique heritage.
As previously reported, the historic Town Hall has been placed on commercial property company Lambert Smith Hampton’s website, after being declared surplus to requirements by the council. The site suggests the building could be used as residential.
Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) wants to use the building as a mixed-use community and enterprise hub and had asked the council to list the building, which dates back to 1880, as an asset of community value.
If a listed asset comes up for sale, it triggers a six-week window for a group to register interest in buying the property, followed by a six-month moratorium period to prepare a bid. It could help block a sale on the open market during that time.
The asset of community value bid had the backing of all three Pudsey councillors Dawn and Simon Seary (both Conservative) and Trish Smith (Reform).
But council officers rejected the application. They pointed to a 2022 report which said investment of around £1 million was required to bring the building up to an acceptable standard in terms of accessibility on all floors.
The report concluded: “There is no evidence of any current use or use in the recent past of the building that furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community.
“Nor is it regarded as realistic to think that now or in the next five years there could be a non-ancillary use of the building that would further (whether or not in the same way as before, even if it were deemed to have previously been used as such) the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community.”
A statement issued today by Pudsey Town Hall CIC, reproduced in full here by WLD, condemned Leeds council’s decision.
The statement said: “We want to set out clearly, on behalf of the CIC, the motivation behind our Asset of Community Value (ACV) nomination, the specific heritage features we sought to protect, and why we continue to believe Pudsey Town Hall must be secured as a community-led heritage asset.
“The ACV nomination was driven by a single, overriding aim: to protect the exceptional civic heritage of Pudsey Town Hall’s first-floor Council Chamber suite, and to secure Pudsey & District Civic Society an appropriate, stable opportunity to manage that floor as a living community and heritage asset.
“The Council Chamber is not simply “a room”. It is an intact civic ensemble that tells Pudsey’s democratic and Borough story in a way that cannot be recreated elsewhere. Its meaning and educational value depend upon retaining the space and its features in situ, within their authentic historical context.
“We also judged it was essential to nominate the Town Hall as a whole, because protecting the civic suite in isolation is not realistic. If the wider building is sold for unsympathetic development, there is a genuine risk the Town Hall could be stripped of significance, devalued as a heritage asset, or lost as a civic landmark altogether. Protecting the first floor makes full sense only if the building’s wider historic fabric and civic purpose are protected too.
“Our nomination and supporting statement sought to safeguard, in particular:
First Floor – Edwardian Borough Council offices and chambers
“Four stained-glass windows featuring the Pudsey Borough coat of arms in a distinctive circular presentation
“The Council Chamber’s original Victorian oak tables, Mayoral seat, and Aldermen high seats with fitted desks and lectern
“Council Clerk’s desk and chair carved with the Borough coat of arms
A double row of leather-bound folding seats with carved oak fittings
“A bespoke display cabinet and its contents: the handwritten and hand-bound Great War Roll of Honour (a unique item)
“The Civic Society’s “History of Pudsey” interpretive display and civic ephemera including Mayoral robes, plaques and ceremonial trowels
“A series of large painted portraits of former Mayors (including two who were knighted), plus historic photographs of elected members spanning decades
“The side chamber: additional Mayoral portraits, a major photograph of the 1952 Royal Visit of Princess Elizabeth, and the Magistrate’s seat with the Royal coat of arms, along with a suite of chairs and oval tables used for Borough business
“A display case housing the Simeon Myers civic trophies and awards, predominantly sterling silver
“Rare survivals including the original Edwardian gents toilets, the reception booth and dumb waiter, historic screens and panelling, and key circulation features such as original light fittings, railings, banisters, polished stone steps and marble columns.
Second Floor – Magistrates’ and Juvenile Courts
“Courtrooms and cells, with a cast-iron gate historically used to secure the floor during sessions
“A strong set of Edwardian offices and period fixtures, including the Mayoral office with significant views over the town
“Third Floor – Mechanics’ Institute legacy and later civic adaptations
“The former Mechanics’ Institute drawing studio with glazed roof for natural daylight
“Original hand-built cupboards used historically for civic plans
“Remaining architectural clues to “lost” Institute features, including evidence consistent with a former lecture theatre/concert hall, and an estimated additional 150m² of partitioned space
The Tower
“A defining landmark feature and a major public draw during Heritage Open Days, offering panoramic views over Pudsey and toward Leeds.
“Despite its fragile condition, the tower has potential as a heritage engagement and fundraising asset when properly managed.
“It is also important to record that all three of our Ward Councillors agreed with the central point of our bid statement: that Pudsey Town Hall is a crucial heritage asset. Their support reflects a shared understanding that the Town Hall’s value is not merely financial — it is civic, cultural, educational, and deeply connected to Pudsey’s identity.
“Although the ACV nomination was refused, the underlying principle remains unchanged: Pudsey Town Hall’s heritage value — particularly the intact civic suite on the first floor — is exceptional and irreplaceable, and once lost it cannot be recovered.
“We are aware that there have been several bids for Pudsey Town Hall. We will follow progress with interest, and we remain hopeful that Leeds City Council will see the sense in the community’s wishes — and the wider benefit in the Town Hall above and beyond a modest cash receipt that will never reflect its true value to Pudsey.
“Our position remains that the best outcome is one that safeguards the building’s civic interiors, restores public access, and enables the Town Hall to serve once again as a community asset at the heart of Pudsey.”
Leeds City Council points to underfunding from Government since 2010 and increasing costs in departments such as adult social care as it seeks to balance its budget.
The building has not been open to the public since 2016 and was partially used by Pudsey and District Civic Society.
- The full council report can be read in full here.
- WLD has been following local and national government cuts in West Leeds via its Cutswatch series here.
- More Pudsey news and views from WLD can be found here.
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