By Daniel Brabban
Pudsey residents believe that the future of Pudsey Town Hall should be for community use – and have issued a ‘hands off’ warning to Leeds City Council.
As previously reported, the building has been declared ‘surplus to requirements’ as cash-strapped Leeds City Council looks to cut costs and raise money to balance its books.
WLD today took to Pudsey’s streets to ask what residents thought of the future of the historic building, with many saying that they would prefer it to be available to be used by community groups as opposed to commercial interests.
Graham Fisher, of Pudsey, said: “I think it’s disgusting, the council keep saying they need buildings. I’d like to see the council use it for their needs, like an advice centre.”
Pudsey resident Shelagh Allen agreed. She added: “It’s a shame because they’re selling everything off.
“They’ve had the town hall closed for so long and how much revenue have they lost because of that? They want to sell everything off, and Pudsey Civic Hall is under threat too.”
When asked what should be done with the building, Ms Allen said: “I think there have been some suggestions for community groups to take it over. It’s a difficult one. We seem to be getting more and more empty buildings.”
Deborah Adder, of Farsley, suggested: “Since Pudsey is quite a historic town, it could become a museum, or some sort of community hub. That’d be preferable to turning them into apartments and rent them at astronomical prices.”
Paige Hargreaves, 31, was concerned that “it would be another vape shop or takeaway, but if it’s something that’s going to be a nice contribution to Pudsey town centre, then fair enough.”
Tim Holdsworth, 62, offered an alternative view. He said: “I suppose it’s best that if it’s sold off, the money is put back into the community.
“I’ve always thought that it could become available for start up businesses, with the top floor converted into flats for professional people. Pudsey is a major hub between Leeds and Bradford. It’s a well-kept building and this would bring money into Pudsey.
“I wouldn’t want to see it demolished because you’d be losing an intricate part of the town’s history. Let’s encourage small businesses and developers to use it and make the best of it.”
In a statement last week, a Leeds City Council spokesperson confirmed the authority was reviewing advice from Lambert Smith Hampton on the sale of Pudsey Town Hall after it was declared surplus to operational requirements in September.
The spokesperson added: “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.
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It was Pudsey Borough Council not Pudsey Urban District Council. Even after the council was abolished in 1974, the Town Hall was still used for magistrates court hearings and meetings of various organisations including Pudsey Sports Council and road safety and home safety committees.