Councillors suggest selling off historic hall

Beaumanor Hall has always operated at a net cost to Leicestershire County Council, but the authority wants to improve the financial picture

A historic hall should be sold off by Leicestershire County Council to save money, councillors have said.

The authority is currently deciding the future of Beaumanor Hall, a Grade II listed mansion near Woodhouse, which it runs as a wedding and events venue.

The building, also used for school trips, made a loss of £459,000 in 2024-25 and is expected to lose £561,000 by the end of this financial year.

The council had asked for ideas from the public about how to cut the costs of running the 19th Century property, and said it was considering 888 responses, but it has now been suggested the building be sold or services run from it outsourced.

A county council scrutiny meeting on Monday was told bookings from schools were declining and costs of running it remained high.

The venue lost £108,000 in income when it closed for emergency repairs between April and June

County councillor Phil King, who represents the Gartree division near Market Harborough, said: "It's a very difficult decision. There are obviously pros and cons to [disposing of the building].

"From residents in my area, the only people who use it are kids who go there on school outings and trips.

"But that's a very big market and there are lots of alternative places for schools in my division go to. They don't go to Beaumanor.

"That's problematic if taxpayers are being asked to subsidise a facility that local residents in their locality don't use."

Fellow committee member James Poland said: "Beaumanor Hall is somewhere I went to when I was a child and I have very fond memories of the place and the work that it has done for decades and generations for children is remarkable.

"It has value but the reality is £500,000 [running costs] a year is difficult to justify and I say that with regret, because I would rather we were able to keep it.

"It is difficult to justify in the context of diminishing attendances."

'Range of views'

The hall was closed for emergency repairs between April and June this year when its chimneys were found to be in a dangerous condition.

The repairs have been completed but the closure led to a further loss of £108,000.

The council said there was no planned timescales for making a decision on the future of the hall, which was requisitioned by the War Office as a secret listening station to intercept encrypted enemy signals during World War Two.

A council spokesperson said: "We want to thank everyone who has taken the time to give us their views, and we're currently engaging with schools about our educational offer until 17 November.

"The consultation has been very positive and given us a range of views and ideas that we now need to consider to help us make the best use of Beaumanor Hall going forward."