A BUILDING gifted to a town is set to remain empty after Durham County Council rejected plans to turn it into a community hub.

Barnard Castle Town Council, along with the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Association of Teesdale Day Clubs, put forward plans on September 1 to occupy Woodleigh, at Scar Top.

The Victorian villa has been a public property asset since 1939 when it was purchased in a joint enterprise between the outgoing town clerk, J Ingram Dawson, and Barnard Castle Urban District Council.

Mr Dawson transferred the ownership of the building to the council on his death with the understanding that it would be used to benefit the people.

Over the course of the Teesdale District Council’s lifetime, between 1974 and 2009, Woodleigh continued to be used for the community but has stood mostly empty since October 2013 while under Durham County Council’s control.

The town council are keen to rent the building for £2,575 a year while subletting it to the two charities, and also planned to invest around £90,000 to maintain the building over the course of the 15-year lease which included high priority repairs the county council identified in a recent survey examining the building’s condition.

However, the county council have rejected the bid, which was the only one offered, saying it falls significantly short of the building’s value.

Councillor Tom Deacon said he was shocked by the decision after such a strong bid was made.

“It should never be forgotten that Woodleigh was given to the town by Dawson, it was never the intention of Dawson that the people of the town should be held for ransom by a local authority based miles based outside the town,” he said.

“Durham County Council paid no money for Woodleigh, indeed the only money ever paid towards ownership came from residents of Barnard Castle.”

Town Clerk, Michael King, also expressed concerns that the building was already starting to act as a focus for anti-social behaviour while it stood empty.

“We are extremely disappointed giving that we think this is the only offer on the table,” he added.

“The bid the partnership put together reflected the value of Woodleigh as a community resource and as a building that was gifted to the people of Barnard Castle.”

The town council has now written to its county councillors and MP Helen Goodman who also said the decision is very disappointing.

Stuart Timmiss, the county council’s head of planning and assets, said: “We received one bid in relation to Woodleigh, in Barnard Castle, which fell significantly short of its expected value.

“In light of this we have asked the party involved to enter into negotiation to ensure that we meet our statutory duty in this respect.”