Town hall could move into community ownership

Ellesmere town council has owned the hall since 2005, but wants to sell or lease it to save money

A town hall could soon be owned by the community.

Ellesmere town council has said it is considering selling or leasing the Shropshire building to save money.

After consultation it emerged the "resounding suggestion" from residents was to set up a community interest company (CIC) or charity trust to run the building instead.

A meeting on Tuesday will welcome expressions of interest for forming a group to take over future management.

The town council said the decision to lease or sell was due to financial and service cuts announcements by Shropshire Council.

It has owned the building, which is hired out for a range of activities, since 2005.

However, it said this was a large cost to taxpayers and the council, and the cost of running the hall had been increasing each year.

Additionally, the council said VAT restrictions would not apply if the building was being run by a different organisation.

It noted that if the building was sold, a restrictive covenant would ensure that it would be kept for community use.