A FORMER heritage centre and café in Ashton-under-Lyne countryside is set to be sold as Tameside Council looks to balance its books.
But suitors have been warned the site at Park Bridge will not be handed over on the cheap.
The authority’s executive cabinet included the building, which has been closed for some time and partly used as a storeroom, in a list of assets for disposal at its meeting on Wednesday, October 30.
However, they will not just accept the first bidder who comes their way. Any deal will be at market value.
Cllr Jack Naylor, executive member for finance and resources, said: “It’s no fire sale. We will ensure Tameside gets the best value.”
That view was mirrored by first deputy Cllr Tafheen Sharif, who added: “We’ve got a budget to balance and if we have land surplus, which we do in Tameside, that neds to be sold.
“But it needs to be sold at an appropriate price, something that would allow us to make a profit on and give back to our residents.”
Executive member for strategic improvement and corporate vision, Cllr Claire Reid, also warned surplus assets should not just be sold to anyone.
She said: “I fully appreciate the financial pressures on the council, but it is about sustainable communities as well.
“It’s about leaving the right things in the right place, preserving our culture and making sure we take communities with us on the journey.”
Now Park Bridge Heritage Centre, which is a former family ironworks, has been declared surplus, it will be put to Tameside Council’s asset management panel, which will decide whether it will go to market.
Other areas also declared surplus at the meeting included a car park on Mary Street and Market Street in Droylsden and woodland off Cooper Street in Dukinfield.
Pieces of land off Greenside Lane in Droylsden, which are subject to plans for 150 homes, were also declared surplus.
The council-owned land off Greenside Lane, one close to St Martin’s Church and another which meets the main road close to Chelwood Drive, would provide more access to the proposed housing development.
Documents state: “This development is seen as a strategically important opportunity, supported by grant funding, to bring forward a significant housing development in Droylsden.
“The current access, and single point of entry, is via the Council’s land to the south (opposite Springfield Road).
“This access on its own has limitations on maximising the development potential of the entire site.”