Campaigners Welcome Recognition of the Value of Community Hall at Centre of Row

Newby and Scalby Community hall has been officially recognised as an asset of community value following strong local opposition to its proposed sale.

Newby and Scalby Community hall which is at the centre of a row over its future use has been recognised as an official asset of community value by the council.

​Plans to turn the Newby and Scalby Community Hall into Wilsons Food & Community Hall could face a further obstacle as local campaigners have successfully had the village hall recognised as an asset of community value (ACV).

​The recognition of the community hall and its associated car park and green open space follows strong local opposition to the proposed sale of the site, which residents say would be “a major blow to the community”.

​Its ACV-listing means that the owners cannot dispose of it without waiting until the end of a six-month “full moratorium” period if a community interest group asks to be treated as a potential bidder.

​The Charity Commission has been urged to investigate the sale, which was announced last month by the trustees of Newby and Scalby Community Hall Trust, following an informal tender, which they said would secure the future of the Trust and create new opportunities to support the local community.

​The Save Newby & Scalby Hall Steering Group (SNSHSG) has strongly condemned the Newby and Scalby Community Hall Trust’s decision to sell the local community hall for a reported £300,000.

​Citing “poor governance, broken promises regarding the surrounding land, and a severe trust gap” with residents, the Steering Group has argued that the sale destroys the charity’s core purpose and has demanded the immediate resignation of the current trustees.

​​The building was listed for £300,000 on Rightmove, and while the Trust has said that any money generated will remain within the Trust and will be “managed responsibly and transparently”, residents have claimed they were not consulted about the proposed sale.

​The Scalby and Newby Village Trust said:

“[Our] application to have Newby and Scalby Community Hall and surroundings listed as an Asset of Community Value has been successful.

“This does not save our community hall, but officially recognises its role as a place of importance to the social wellbeing of the local community, supporting cultural, recreational and sporting interests.

“It also protects the building from being sold without the owners formally notifying the Local Authority and makes available a six-month sale moratorium period.”

​​The 4,000 sq ft hall was previously run by Scarborough Borough Council before ownership was transferred to the trust.

​​New members of the Newby and Scalby Community Hall Trust said that when they joined in 2024, they inherited “a number of significant challenges, including property registration matters, increasing compliance obligations and the need for further investment in the ageing building”.

​In a statement issued last month, the trust added:

“Following a detailed review of the charity’s position and after taking professional advice, the trustees concluded that selling the hall building was the most responsible way to protect the charity’s assets and ensure its long-term future.”

​Wilson’s Food Hall said it “entered the process in good faith, followed the requirements set out to all bidders and has acted appropriately throughout” and there has been no suggestion of wrongdoing by the business.

“At this stage, we will await the outcome of the ongoing process and any resolution reached by the relevant parties. We understand these discussions involve the Trustees, their professional advisers, the Charity Commission and local residents,” it said in June.

​A spokesperson added:

“It is important to be clear that the matters currently being discussed relate to the Trust and its decision-making process. They do not arise from, nor are they the responsibility of, those businesses and organisations that participated in the tender process after being invited to do so.

“Our position remains unchanged: we believe the Community Hall should continue to be an asset that serves and benefits the local community, and we will await the outcome of the current process with interest.”

​The Save Newby & Scalby Hall Steering Group noted the time and expense invested by the company as part of the process to date and said it wished “Wilson’s every success for the future”.