Library bid did not have enough time, claims Wigan councillor

Atherton Community Trust had to withdraw its attempt to take control of the town’s former technical college and library on York Street in April last year.

It said it had been given until May 1 to produce a viable business plan for a community asset transfer (CAT) of the location, but informed the council that would not be possible.

Now Atherton councillor, Coun Stuart Gerrard has spoken out to say the process should have been suspended until the community trust could finalise their bid and submit it to the council, especially at a time during the height of the Covid-19 crisis.

He was speaking after the building was put up for online auction with Pugh for a guide price of £100,000 plus.

Coun Gerrard said the building has become the “victim of greed and the pandemic.”

He said: “In the height of the pandemic with all the extra Covid work and social distancing measures, the council still decided to carry on with decision making over the asset transfer, rather than suspending the process until the community trust could finalise their bid and submit it to the council.

“If 2020 has taught us anything, it is the importance of having good real community hubs that can be used for emergencies such as we have been having this year.

“Someone is going to get a bargain and possibly make a good profit again on the back of our own gifted buildings to the people of Atherton.

He added: “The pittance the council will raise must be ring-fenced for the town, so it can be put to something that will benefit the town and its people.”

The withdrawal of the trust’s bid brought to an end more than a year of attempts by the group, which was formed by a number of Atherton organisations coming together, to develop facilities for the town’s residents in the building.

The trust acknowledged that some of the uses it had hoped to put it to were not financially viable, while others were hindered by the design of the building. And the last-remaining option of a venue for ex-military personnel for Atherton and its surrounding areas was not enough on its own.

But the council said the usual process for a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) takes three months.

Since the start of 2019, the council said it granted five extensions, with the most recent deadline passing in June last year.

A council spokesman said: “We have worked with the community for a long time to explore various options of a CAT and provided numerous opportunities for a sustainable business case to be submitted.

“Following the withdrawal of the CAT application the council took a decision to dispose of the building through auction.”