A LOCAL authority is selling a township civic hall to the borough's leisure trust for a pound

Senior councillors will on Wednesday be asked to rubber stamp the decision by Hyndburn Council bosses to transfer the 1960s building in Clayton-le-Moors to create a sports and community hub.

The move will allow Clayton Amateur Boxing Club to secure a Sport England grant to carry out building works to create a new up-to-date home for its activities in the former library.

The authority's cabinet will on Wednesday be asked to confirm the decision to transfer the freehold of Clayton Civic Hall, valued at £196,000, to Hyndburn leisure for just a pound.

It will be told that: "Hyndburn Leisure have supported a grant application by the boxing club to Sport England to secure £50,000 to carry out the first stage of the building improvement works.

"Sport England required a commitment by Hyndburn Leisure to grant a lease to the boxing club by the end of June 2021 or the funding will be withdrawn."

The council's Labour leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said: "This is a very positive move. It will secure the boxing club's future."

Cllr Marlene Haworth, leader of the authority's Conservative opposition group, said: "I have a couple of questions to ask at the cabinet meeting. I want to now more detail about this."

It was previously home to a Lancashire County Council library and the county council rents the basement for a children's centre.

Hyndburn Leisure manages the rest of the building for the council which pays for repairs.

A report to councillors says: "The property comprises a 1960’s purpose built Civic Hall at Pickup Street, Clayton-le-Moors.

"The council has been considering the future of the building and has received an expression of interest from Hyndburn Leisure to acquire the building for £1 and develop the use as a community facility.

"It is the intention to develop the building as a community hub (rehousing those groups and activities that have been displaced following closure of the Arthur Wilson Centre), sports hub (the provision of accommodation for the local boxing club), community library, etc.

"Hyndburn Leisure currently hosts a variety of community classes and a community Jujitsu Club at Clayton Civic Hall.

"It intends to invest circa £100,000 over the first three years to improve the facilities internally and the building externally."

The plans include transforming the old library site into a boxing space, developing the boxing space to incorporate a community gym and boxing offer, and introducing a reception area and a community library space run by volunteers.