Castleford Civic Centre could be sold to help meet budget gap

Castleford Civic Centre opened in 1970 as an auditorium with two large function rooms, but a council report said it is now under-used

Castleford Civic Centre could be sold off as part of a council's efforts to plug a £35m gap in its budget.

Wakefield Council is considering the sale as one of a number of proposals to help bridge the predicted shortfall, a report said.

The 700-capacity centre opened in 1970 and has been used to host concerts and weddings, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

However the report said the Ferrybridge Road venue was now "under-utilised".

In October, the authority predicted a £35.6m budget shortfall for 2024-25, while the funding gap over the five-year period to 2028-29 has been put at £86m.

The report due to go before cabinet on 12 December said that without savings the authority's cash reserves could be "fully eroded".

Reducing its property estate, including selling the civic centre, could save £400,000 for the next financial year, the authority said.

Other proposals include saving £16m from adult and children's social care, highways, and arts and culture, with another £3.5m saved by not replacing vacant council roles.

Further cost cutting measures could include the restructuring of departments and senior management

Leader of the Labour-run council, Denise Jeffrey, said "difficult decisions" lay ahead to balance the books, with nearby Kirklees Council freezing non-essential spending in August to stop a repeat of what happened to Birmingham City Council, which declared itself bankrupt in July.

But Ms Jeffery said all council employees would be sent a "letter of reassurance" and the council has insisted it holds a "resilient financial position" compared to other authorities.

"In developing savings and efficiency proposals, the intention has been to minimise, as far as is possible, the impact of funding cuts on the delivery of our priority services and to protect jobs," the report said.

If the the sale of the civic centre is approved by cabinet meeting a full consultation would begin in January before being referred to the full council.