A COUNCILLOR has hit out at a local authority for "cheapskate behaviour" after a bid to turn Bridport's oldest building into a community space was rejected.

District councillor Ro1s Kayes has criticised West Dorset District Council after a community bid for The Chantry in South Street, Bridport was turned down.

The council put The Chantry, thought to be the oldest non-religious building in the town, on the market in November 2016. The property, which dates back to 1253, was originally on the market for £450,000 but the price has been reduced to £395,000. In the 1970s, the building was transferred free of charge to the district council from the Borough of Bridport during the local government reorganisation. Campaigners understand the building is set to be sold to a private individual, while the community bid was £75,000 below the alleged accepted offer.

The community proposals included using the building as an education centre for primary schools as well as space for historical exhibitions.

Cllr Kayes, who has led the campaign, said: "Councils do have a duty to provide best value for council tax payers but this is combined with a duty to protect local assets and heritage.

"The community has been up in arms and gone to a lot of hard work to keep this beautiful building, the oldest remaining building in the town and central to its history, available for community use. It is utterly cheapskate behaviour of West Dorset District Council, which received this building for free, and which is the richest district council in the UK with more than £50 million in savings, to quibble over a paltry £75,000."

She added: "They have utterly failed to balance the feelings of the community, the historical importance of the building and the feelings of councillors, who, when this was debated in council were outraged at the proposal to sell, with their duty to obtain best value.

"There is a social and historical value to assets as well as a financial value and this petty pilfering of the cultural estate is both mean spirited and shameful. I urge them to reconsider before this historical gem is lost to the people of Bridport forever."

The district council said it could not comment while the sale of The Chantry is ongoing.

Cllr John Russell, portfolio holder for environmental protection and assets, said: “We are in the process of reviewing bids for The Chantry, Bridport, and it would not be appropriate to discuss bids in the press at this time."