HEATED discussions broke out at a Trowbridge Town Council meeting on Tuesday as councillors voted whether or not to bid for the derelict Courtfield House.

Cllr Graham Payne suggested to his fellow councillors that the town council should buy the Grade ll listed building in Polebarn Road so that the outdoor area could be used to increase the size of the town park.

But the council voted emphatically against the idea, with only Cllr Payne and Cllr John Knight voting in favour of buying the building at an estimated cost of £700,000, the Wiltshire Times understands.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Payne said: “More and more pressure is being placed on our park as the population of the town grows.

“This is a unique opportunity to make a pretty straightforward addition to the park to cope with the growing number of people who use it.

“If we miss this opportunity tonight, we won’t be able to oppose a proposed development when planners eventually thrash something out which is acceptable for both sides.

“This is the last opportunity we have to extend the size of the park – we need to grasp the nettle and make sure that land isn’t used for housing.”

The building, which was built in 1754 as a clothier’s house, has been empty since 2011 and has suffered water damage, smashed windows and graffiti on its wool store.

It was earmarked as a possible new location for Trowbridge Museum but after the town council weighed up the move, it was deemed to be far cheaper to develop the existing museum in The Shires instead.

Town clerk Lance Allan strongly urged councillors to vote against taking the building on due to high costs.

He said: “I have never recommended more strongly to councillors before that they should not go down this route.

“To buy it and get it back to a standard which would be habitable would cost in excess of £3 million, which would mean things like the redevelopment of the museum are sacrificed.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Allan said he was ‘pleased that councillors took my advice’.