Village hall sale sparks community bid hope

Community groups have been given the chance to bid for a North Yorkshire village hall after its owners confirmed plans to sell the site despite local opposition.

Newby and Scalby Community Hall, near Scarborough, was recently listed as an Asset of Community Value, triggering a legal process aimed at giving local organisations the opportunity to buy it.

North Yorkshire Council said the trust which owns the hall had formally notified it of plans to sell the building.

A six-week interim moratorium period will run until 19 August. If a community group registers an interest in buying the hall before then, a six-month moratorium would be triggered, delaying any sale until January 2027.

The proposed sale was announced last month following an informal tender process and forms part of plans to create Wilson's Food & Community Hall.

Trustees said the sale would secure the hall's future, create new opportunities for local people and ensure any proceeds remained within the charity.

However, the proposal prompted strong opposition from some residents, who questioned the level of consultation and whether the reported £300,000 sale price represented value for money.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the Charity Commission last week confirmed it was assessing concerns raised about the trust.

A spokesperson said trustees were legally required to act in the best interests of their charity, even when decisions proved unpopular.

Campaigners opposed to the sale argue it would undermine the charity's purpose and have called on the trustees to resign.

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