A bankrupt borough council is hoping to find volunteer or community organisations to take over the running of a historic Victorian hall.

Woking Borough Council went effectively bust last year and has had to cut its expenditure accordingly ever since. 

Among the steps taken have been a dramatic cut to services and jobs as well as increases in council tax. It has also been forced to look to offload many of its assets in an effort to balance its books.

Part of that has been to find community partners to take over the running of certain sites, rather than selling them off.

Now, it has announced a further round of expressions of interest for the transfer of Moorcroft Centre for the Community.

Cllr Steve Greentree, Woking Borough Council’s portfolio holder for living well, said: “The transfer of Moorcroft presents an exciting opportunity to take over this much-valued community asset. 

“This initiative will empower local groups to transform community spaces and ensure they remain open to resident. We are excited to hear from organisations ready to step forward and take on this vital role.”

The successful group must demonstrate that they can deliver a sustained valued community asset that will allow locally run services to thrive and flourish – without any funding from the council.

The group must also focus on social inclusion and be environmentally considerate.

The council describes the hall, a former Victorian school building in Westfield, as a  spacious site with a  welcoming café and the versatility to allow whichever group takes over its running to create a valued community space.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 5pm on Monday, January 27 2025.

Once approved, the council will then request to review a full business case.