Plans by a residents’ group to reopen a £180,000 community centre in Market Drayton appear to have been scuppered after a mystery buyer revealed he wants to make it his family home.

The man, who does not wish to be named, said he is in talks with Shropshire Council about buying the Little Drayton Community Centre in Buntingsdale Road, which local people had hoped to buy and save as a community centre.

Residents had formed a project committee in September to either buy or lease the centre which closed in 2003 after falling into disrepair.

The committee had hoped to reopen the centre as a venue for cookery, dance and computer lessons, as well as making it available to youth groups.

But the mystery buyer, who was born in Loggerheads and lives in Newcastle-under- Lyme, said he wanted to relocate with his family.

He said: “I am aware the property has been empty for a considerable time and it needs a lot of work doing to turn it into a home. I expect a six figure sum will need to be spent on it.

“I appreciate local residents were worried about what it was going to be turned into.

“Rather than left wondering I felt it was important to tell people what my plans for it were. I hope the council will invest some of the funds from the sale into the local community.”

Shropshire Council, which inherited the centre from the former North Shropshire District Council in 2009, confirmed it was set to sell it to an unnamed buyer for possible commercial or residential use.

Janine Kitchin, chairman of the Little Drayton Community Centre Project Committee, said they will not give up.

She said: “We are still going on as we believe there is something about the building that may stop him from turning it into a family home. We have got nothing against the man, but we still believe Little Drayton could do with a community centre.”

Tim Smith, for Shropshire Council, said an acceptable offer had been received.

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