A community group is to be given a two-month head-start to pull together a bid for Grade II listed Heath Barn, in Hemel Hempstead, before the sale of the site is launched publicly.

Heath Barn, which is believed to be one of the oldest sets of buildings in Hemel Hempstead, was formerly used by the county council as a music centre.

But since the music centre was moved to refurbished facilities at The Hemel Hempstead School next door, the building has remained empty.

On Wednesday, the county council’s cabinet agreed that the site – which already has permission for residential development – could be disposed of. But it also agreed that any general marketing of the site should be paused for two months.

placeholder image — The historic building is up for sale

That pause is so that Our Heath Barn – which has been set up as a community interest company (CIC) – can work on its bid, which could see the property developed into a “creative and wellbeing community hub and café”.

After those two months, councillors agreed that the John’s Road site should go “on the open market” for a further two months. And in a further change to the council’s usual disposal process, the outcome of the process will then be reported back to the council’s resources and performance cabinet panel, before a decision is taken.

At the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, executive member for resources and performance, Cllr Chris Lucas stressed that the reporting back to the panel should not “become the norm”.

“What I would like to put on record is that this is a one-off, the reporting back to the cabinet panel,” he said. “I don’t want there to be a precedent where every contentious issue relating to property or assets goes back to the cabinet panel.

“We have a delegation process. We have a well-used way of doing things. And on this particular occasion, whilst I accept there was a particular need and a particularly strong feeling within the cabinet panel for this item to be reported back, I do not want this to become the norm.”

Meanwhile leader of the county council, Cllr Steve Jarvis, highlighted the need not to delay the agreed disposal of council assets.

“I think there are some particular issues around this site, which perhaps it would be useful for the cabinet panel to hear the results of,” he said. “But clearly what we don’t want to do is to introduce further delay in asset disposals, when everyone has agreed that they should be disposed of.”

According to a report presented to the cabinet, Heath Barn has been owned by the county council “for many decades”. And it was most recently used as a music centre by The Hemel Hempstead School.

In 2016, the council had agreed to re-provide a music centre within the school grounds, as part of a wider school improvement project. And the business case for those improvements, says the report, included the potential for the future disposal of Heath Barn. A further review by council officers suggested that there was no current or anticipated county council need for the building

And the report highlights a county council policy to dispose of Grade II listed buildings where possible, due to the associated costs and constraints. Also reported to the cabinet was that planning permission for the residential development of the site has recently been secured.

The report also notes that under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, the county council is obliged to get “best consideration” from the disposal of surplus assets. Part of the cabinet meeting considering the disposal of Heath Barn, as well as two other sites, was held in private, with the press and public excluded from the meeting.