COUNCILLORS in Trowbridge say they are unwilling to take on the management of the Down Cemetery from Wiltshire Council unless The Lodge is included.

Property agents Zoopla say The Lodge could fetch between £212,000 and £259,000 if sold on the open market, or produce a monthly rental income of between £750-£900.

The property has two bedrooms, two reception rooms and one bathroom but has been empty for many years despite a high number of people looking for a home to rent. It is currently up for auction.

Speaking at a full council meeting, Cllr Edward Kirk said: “My personal view is that it has got no asset value whatsoever in terms of the town.

"It has got no revenue benefit whatsoever, it has got a cost benefit and it should remain within the realm of Wiltshire Council."

Cllr Glyn Bridges has previously criticised Wiltshire Council for not putting The Lodge to good use to house homeless people.

He said the building is an asset that could generate a potential rental income of several hundred pounds a month.

"I think we ought to indicate to the council that, at this stage, we would never be prepared to take over the cemetery without The Lodge because that is the one thing there that would provide some sort of income to the council to maintain the cemetery."

Trowbridge Town Council is due to hold talks in May with Wiltshire Council about the possible transfer of assets including The Down Cemetery and Biss Meadows Country Park.

The discussions that were scheduled to take place in January have been postponed by Wiltshire Council until March/April.

Robert Wall, chairman of the Friends of Down Cemetery, urged the council to involve voluntary groups, such as the Friends of Down Cemetery and the Friends of Biss Meadows Country Park, in the discussions.

Trowbridge town clerk and chief executive Lance Allan said: "I have no doubt that councillors will be keen to involve the voluntary groups in these discussions."

The Friends of Down Cemetery was formed in 2016 as a group aiming to preserve the cemetery, its chapel, monuments and mausoleums.

The volunteers are involved in the preservation, conservation, sympathetic restoration and recording for public benefit of The Down Cemetery, including the monuments, buildings, standing structures, landscape, wildlife and burial records.

The Friends of Down Cemetery website says: "We are looking at clearing the graves and tombstones of undergrowth, transcribing inscriptions, careful restoration where possible and photographing all work undertaken.

"The Friends’ long term aim is to make this data available to the public, hold open days and run historical and wildlife tours."

If Trowbridge decides whether to take on the asset, it will be the town council which will be legally responsible for the management of the cemetery.

Some councillors say they are not keen on taking over assets that produce no benefit to the town, despite Wiltshire Council's 'all or nothing' approach to asset transfers.

Cllr Peter Fuller, the Council leader, said: "Although I am given to understand that it is 'all or nothing' if they try to twist my arm and say it's all or nothing and we have got to take over all the graveyards, and the chapel, and the mausoleums which are in the cemetery, to be honest I will tell them where to go.

"It will be a decision of the council as to what we take over or what we don't. I would hope that we get something in exchange for it because at the current time everybody in Trowbridge is paying towards the so-called maintenance of the cemetery and Biss Meadows and all the other bits of grass and trees about the town.

"We are paying for that and we are getting something for it but it's not very much."