Community hall listed as asset following sale

A community centre that was sold to a food hall company has been listed as an asset of community value, following a campaign by residents.

Newby and Scalby Community Hall, in Scalby, was sold in June after it was marketed for £300,000, the trust that runs it said.

However, campaigners have opposed the sale and said that listing the site would help to recognise its role "as a place of importance to the social wellbeing of the local community".

A spokesperson for the trust previously said: "Selling the hall building was the most responsible way to protect the charity's assets and ensure its long-term future."

North Yorkshire Council said an application by the Scalby and Newby Village Trust to list the hall and associated car park and green open space had been successful last week.

It means that the owners cannot dispose of the site without waiting until the end of a six-month period if a community interest group asks to be treated as a potential bidder for the site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "This does not save our community hall, but officially recognises its role as a place of importance to the social wellbeing of the local community, supporting cultural, recreational and sporting interests."

The hall was donated to residents in 1922 and was previously run by Scarborough Borough Council.

Over the years it has been used to host exercise classes, NHS blood donation sessions, craft fairs, exhibitions and community groups.

As well as the hall, the trust is also responsible for a car park and bowling green.

The Charity Commission has been asked to investigate the sale of the hall after some residents questioned the handling of the site.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.