JohnA community centre in a village of East Leeds is going under the hammer after cash-strapped Leeds City Council decided to sell the building.
The Allerton Bywater Community Centre on Leeds Road is to be auctioned this month after council chiefs earmarked the facility for closure in 2020 due to under use and escalating running costs. The local authority must make £106m in savings during the next financial year.
The property will be included in this month’s online property auction held by auctioneer Pugh, part of Eddisons, on 26 February and has been given an £80,000 guide price.
The 2,000 sq ft former community centre is situated on a quarter-acre site and auctioneers say it could be suitable for change of use. “The property is in a really good location in the village, in a largely residential area, with amenities like schools and restaurants nearby, and with open fields on one side,” said Will Thompson of Pugh.
“It’s also within easy reach of Castleford, which is just two miles away, and of course Leeds is on the doorstep too so there are a range of different uses the community centre could be put to and there is scope for redevelopment too, although of course any buyer would have to secure the relevant consent for their plans.
“It would be good to see the property get a new lease of life in the hands of an imaginative new owner, generating much needed funds for the council at auction, as well as potentially creating new jobs and opportunities for local people.”
The property will be available, along with more than 120 other properties and plots of land, in the Pugh online auction, with bidding opening on 25 February and closing the next day. For more details, viewing arrangements, and bidding information, visit www.pugh-auctions.com.
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