Pudsey Town Hall Sale Approved After Leeds Council Debate

Key Points

• Leeds City Council has confirmed the sale of Pudsey Town Hall after a scrutiny board hearing at Leeds Civic Hall.
• The proposed sale was previously “called in” by opposition councillors led by Conservative Councillor Andrew Carter, but the call-in was dismissed by 8 votes to 4.
• Councillor Carter described the decision as a “fire sale” and criticised the council for inadequate consultation.
• The Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) proposed an alternative community-led reuse plan for the building.
• Council Leader Councillor James Lewis defended the sale, calling it part of a “sound financial strategy.”
• The Grade-II listed building has been closed since 2016 and costs around £30,000 a year to maintain.
• Heritage and historical preservation concerns were raised by several councillors, including Trish Smith and Diane Chapman.
• Leeds City Council said it has undertaken a “robust engagement” process and that future community partnership options remain open if the building fails to attract a buyer.

Leeds City Council has officially confirmed the controversial sale of Pudsey Town Hall following a scrutiny board session at Leeds Civic Hall, rejecting an appeal by local councillors and campaigners seeking to keep the historic site in community hands.

As reported by John Baron of West Leeds Dispatch, councillors voted eight to four against a formal “call-in” request led by Conservative Councillor Andrew Carter, meaning the council’s executive decision to sell the landmark will proceed as planned.

Why is Pudsey Town Hall being sold?

According to Leeds City Council, maintaining the empty 19th-century Pudsey Town Hall costs approximately £30,000 a year, a financial burden the Labour-run local authority can no longer sustain as it grapples with significant budgetary pressures.

A spokesperson from the Council, cited by Leeds Live, explained that the decision is part of a wider strategy to dispose of surplus buildings that are no longer part of frontline council service delivery.

Council Leader James Lewis (Lab, Kippax and Methley) reaffirmed this view during the meeting, stating:

“A lot of buildings are no longer part of the council’s services as the number of staff declined during the years of austerity. Most have achieved a price far higher than their initial valuation, which shows it is a sound strategy in terms of supporting the council’s budget position. I wouldn’t characterise it as a ‘fire sale’.”

What was the opposition’s argument against the sale?

Conservative Cllr Andrew Carter (Calverley & Farsley) spearheaded the call to delay the sale, describing the move as rushed, poorly consulted, and damaging to Pudsey’s civic heritage.

As Carter told West Leeds Dispatch:

“The Pudsey coat of arms contains an insignia that says, ‘be just and fear not’ – and that is what I’m asking this scrutiny committee to be today.”

He added that there had been inadequate consultation with councillors from both the Pudsey and Calverley & Farsley wards, as well as with local organisations including the Pudsey Town Hall Community Interest Company (CIC) and the Pudsey and District Civic Society, which currently holds a licence to rent part of the building as an archive.

Carter insisted that “other options have not been fully explored” and branded the disposal “an act of civic vandalism.” He had requested the scrutiny committee defer the sale until the next financial year to allow further discussions on community options, a call supported by councillors Dawn and Simon Seary (both Cons, Pudsey) and other Conservative, SDP and Garforth Independent members.

What does the Pudsey Town Hall CIC propose?

Cllr Trish Smith (Ref, Pudsey) spoke at the hearing in her capacity as a director of the Pudsey Town Hall CIC, a volunteer-led community group seeking to repurpose the building as a community hub while preserving its heritage.

As BBC Radio Leeds reported, Smith said:

“Pudsey Town Hall is one of the last remaining civic buildings in Pudsey town centre. It is home to irreplaceable heritage, including a complete council chamber and the story of the former borough of Pudsey. If it is sold without protections and without properly evaluating a community-led pathway, Pudsey risks losing not only the heart of its civic identity but a once-in-a-generation regeneration opportunity.”

She described the group’s vision as a “springboard for regeneration,” designed to revitalise the local economy and support independent traders around Market Place and Church Lane.

What did Leeds Council say about community engagement?

In response to criticism, Council Leader James Lewis maintained that community engagement had been comprehensive over several years, claiming the council had worked closely with the CIC on multiple proposals.

Adding to the discussion, Mark Mills, Chief Officer for Asset Management and Regeneration at Leeds City Council, reassured the scrutiny board that:

“This decision has gone through a robust process involving significant engagement with the CIC and local councillors. The building sits in a prime location and should receive good interest on the open market.”

He also confirmed there may still be an opportunity to re-engage with the CIC if the property fails to attract a suitable buyer.

What concerns remain about Pudsey’s heritage?

Councillors across party lines raised questions about preserving Pudsey Town Hall’s valuable heritage features, including its council chamber and local memorabilia.

Cllr Neil Buckley (Cons, Alwoodley) asked whether the chamber might be preserved in situ or repurposed within a new development. However, Mills responded that “it isn’t possible to retain a single room on its own” without harming the property’s value, though the council is open to relocating artefacts to other public venues such as the Pudsey Community Hub or Library.

Meanwhile, Cllr Diane Chapman (Lib Dem, Rothwell) said the disposal of heritage sites reflected a difficult but recurring issue for local government. She commented, as Leeds Live noted:

“We all accept buildings have to be disposed of, but these are heritage buildings that reflect the history of Leeds before it became part of Leeds.”

How did the scrutiny board vote and what comes next?

After hearing both sides, the scrutiny board dismissed the call-in motion by a margin of eight votes to four, allowing the sale to proceed immediately.

The committee agreed that while the concerns around consultation and heritage preservation were legitimate, the council had followed due procedure under asset management policy and that financial realities left few alternatives.

Although Pudsey Town Hall will be listed on the open market, community groups will still be allowed to bid for ownership under the Localism Act 2011, which empowers local bodies to register “assets of community value.”

What does the sale mean for Pudsey’s future?

With the sale now confirmed, the future of Pudsey Town Hall hangs on the property market’s response and the community’s capacity to organise a viable bid.

If the Community Interest Company can raise funds and present a competitive commercial proposal, Leeds City Council officials have left the door open to future collaboration.

Still, for many in Pudsey, the finality of the decision marks the end of an era. The town hall, a Grade-II listed structure built in 1879, once symbolised civic independence before Pudsey was absorbed into the wider Leeds metropolitan district in 1974.

For campaigners, the sale represents a challenge to preserve local identity amid financial austerity. For Leeds City Council, it signifies another step toward fiscal stability by releasing surplus assets from its estate portfolio.