COUNCILLORS have agreed to sell the town’s Commercial House to the Dorchester Islamic Trust despite concerns over ‘selling the family silver’.

The decision came after members of Dorset County Council’s (DCC) cabinet met to discuss the council’s asset management plan as part of a quarterly report.

A new version of the asset management plan is due to be published in April, which highlights the need to rationalise the number of properties the council owns and to deliver services differently.

Since 2012, Commercial House has been leased to the Dorchester Islamic Trust who have converted it into a prayer and community centre.

The quarterly report told cabinet members: “The creation of an Islamic Community Centre in Dorchester has been well received by the Muslim community and there are now well over 100 people who regularly attend prayers at the building.

“Furthermore, the Trust would like to expand the activities offered from the building which they see as ideal for their purposes, both in size and location.

“The work that the Trust does, in providing a valuable community facility and support for the Muslim community of Dorchester, is widely recognised and has the wholehearted support of the local members.”

In December 2012, an option agreement was approved between DCC and Dorset Development Partnership (DDP) on the Barracks site in Dorchester - which comprised the Quartermasters Store, Commercial House, the Waddington Workshop buildings and adjoining car park.

However, due to legal complications the option agreement between the parties has yet to be signed.

In 2014, the Dorchester Islamic Trust offered to purchase Commercial House which the council said ‘represented an opportunity for a quick sale of an asset with a maintenance backlog’.

But as the property was committed to DDP this offer was referred to the operations board.

Discussing the building on Wednesday, council leader Robert Gould said selling Commercial House was ‘the right thing to do’ for the residents of Dorset.

He said: “If we sell the building there is significant community benefit to take into account.”

But county councillor Paul Kimber raised concerns that the council were selling off all their properties.

He said: “I wouldn’t quite use the term ‘selling off the family silver’ but I am concerned. We should consider a long term rental agreement for the building instead.”

He added that the council may need the building for ‘someone somewhere’ one day and could therefore regret the decision to sell.

County councillor Trevor Jones moved to reassure Cllr Kimber.

He said: “We are not selling off the family silver but rather the base metal.

“Commercial House is in a deplorable state and hasn’t been used by the county council in six or seven years. The top floor is still not usable.”

Cabinet members agreed to withdraw Commercial House from the option agreement with DDP and to dispose of it separately, selling the building at market value to the Dorchester Islamic Trust.