LANGDALE Hall’s sale could be delayed after it was nominated an “asset of community value” by trustees of Witney Museum.

The move could place a six-month stay on sale of the 1920s building, as trustees call for it to be used as a new museum premises.

But Witney Town Council said it had accepted an offer for the hall, throwing into doubt whether the nomination would stand.

The sale is a crucial part of measures to fund the second stage of the refurbishment of the Corn Exchange in Market Square.

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Mayor Jeanette Baker said councillors had made their decision at an extraordinary meeting of the council last Wednesday.

Mrs Baker said eight bids for the former drill hall were received and the sale figure was above the council’s £750,000 asking price.

She told the Oxford Mail: “A decision was made to accept an offer on Langdale Hall, after a very transparent bidding process. At this moment the details must remain confidential while we go through the legal process.”

Under legislation introduced by the Government in the Localism Act 2011, community groups can register important buildings such as pubs, shops, libraries, as “assets of community value” when they are put up for sale.

This pauses the sale process for up to six months, so residents have time to raise money for a bid. Mrs Baker said the town council would deal with planning authority West Oxfordshire District Council over the museum trustees’ attempt to register the hall.

It was not yet clear, she added, whether it would affect the sale.

A WODC spokeswoman said Langdale Hall had been nominated on November 14 and the authority had until January 9 to decide whether to register it.

Witney Museum trustee Ian Petty said Langdale Hall could be used as a new exhibition space, replacing the group’s High Street premises opposite Witan Way.

He said: “We are very tucked away and do not have anything like the right amount of space we need. We don’t have much room for storage or office space to allow us to take on graduates for work experience.

“We have been talking about this for a while with various other groups who have a practical interest in coming on board.”

Witney Town Council currently rents Langdale Hall for social, corporate and community events.

Mr Petty added: “If a developer buys it the hall will inevitably be knocked down.

“We could call it the Drill Hall Memorial Museum. In truth getting rid of it amounts to selling off the family silver. But if the council sells it to us, it is a win-win situation.”

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