Council chiefs say their offer to buy a former church in Burntwood remains on the table.
A bid was made for the Chase Terrace Methodist Church after it was declared as an Asset of Community Value following an application to Lichfield District Council by Burntwood Town Council.
The owners of the building, which closed as a church after a drop in the size of the congregation, have now given formal notice of their intention to sell.
It means that, due to the listing as a community asset, local groups now have six months to agree a deal to buy the site.
The town council has put an offer on the table, but this has yet to be accepted.
A spokesperson said:
“The town council remains determined to ensure that there are suitable facilities for our wonderful community groups.
“The former church building is ideal and has been used by residents for 150 years. Local people have helped to maintain it and support it, and we believe that we should be able to keep it available.
“We have made an offer – which has not been accepted, but it still stands.”
Burntwood Town Council spokesperson
The need for community space in Burntwood has been highlighted once again in recent weeks after discussions over proposals for a new health facility to be built on the former youth centre site at Cherry Close in 2025.
The possibilities are endless if this building is bought by the local council! The many uses include as a youth club ( remember them folks?) some evenings, an events centre maybe occasionally, an old folks meeting point for bingo nights or indoor bowling and for local clubs to meet up. The worst case scenario would be to knock it down and build two/ three very expensive houses on the land.