Beauty spot buildings to get protected status

The White House site at Otley Chevin Forest Park will be added to the city council's list of Assets of Community Value

Buildings at a Leeds beauty spot will get protected status after a community group's successful application.

The White House site at Otley Chevin Forest Park will be added to Leeds City Council's list of Assets of Community Value.

Otley Folklore Community Interest Company (CIC) nominated the site, which includes a cafe and education centre.

Protected status means the group would have the right to make a bid for the council-owned buildings if they were put up for sale.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the White House building itself was being used by council staff and the Friends of Otley Chevin Forest Park as a documents archive.

The cafe was in a poor condition and closed in 2020, a council report said, but expressions of interest had been sought to bring it back into use within the next five years.

The report added: "The nominator states that these buildings have been central to community life in Otley for over a century and remain the way many people connect with the Chevin's heritage.

"They state that the site has historically hosted a wide range of activities that promote social well-being, community connection, learning and access to nature."

If the community group wanted to acquire the property, any sale would be paused for the group to make a bid within six months.

The council report said: "However, the landowner is free to dispose of the property at the end of the six-month period to whomsoever they see fit."

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