A LANDMARK building looks set to be demolished after no bids were made to run it as an asset of community value.

With Wigan Council confirming that a six-month moratorium for offers from community interest groups has drawn a blank, The Rose Centre, formerly known as Lowton Civic Hall, can now be sold to anyone.

A planning application to knock down the historic community hub on Hesketh Meadow Lane and build 36 homes on the land, which was submitted by MCI Developments in December, is still pending.

But Lowton councillor James Grundy believes that government approval for the HS2 line to run through the village close to the land may scupper that plan.

The building, which was a hostel for Eastern Europeans working in the coal mines in the late 1940s, is owned by Rose Leisure, which bought it from the council.

Cllr Grundy said: “We are disappointed the council has not been able to agree terms with the owners to keep the centre but we believe it should never have been sold in the first place.

“It remains to be seen what will happen to the building now as there are a number of complex issues still to be decided.

“The site is immediately adjacent to where the HS2 line is set to run through, which could mean a stay of execution for the hall because surely no-one will want to buy a house in the area if they are not eligible for any compensation.

“As part of the council’s adopted strategy there is a rule that says you cannot lose local facilities for housing without alternative provision being made, so we will see what comes out of that.”

The plan to flatten the historic building and build houses at the site was met with strong opposition from residents and councillors when it came to light.

In December the council revealed a moratorium had been triggered by Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles.

But the social enterprise did not end up putting in a bid.

Penny McGinty, assistant director for contracts and assets at the council, said: “During the asset of community value period any organisation can express an interest in the building to assess the viability of any proposals.

“There were no bids submitted to the owners during the period for expressions of interest.

"Now the listing has expired the owners are free to dispose of the building to whom they choose.”

The site is steeped in history.

The farmland on Hesketh Meadow Lane was requisitioned by the War Department in 1939.

It was set to become a village with its own chapel, cinema and sick bay to accommodate 600 workers at the munitions factory at Risley Moss.

However in 1942 the plans were changed and it was converted into a land-based ship, known as HMS Cabbala.

The Royal Navy signals training centre attracted recruits from across the country to be trained in top secret methods of sending and receiving codes, especially Morse code.

Around 600 sailors and 60 Wrens boarded the ship until 1946.

Cllr Grundy says the HMS Cabbala plaque at the site will be preserved.

He added that a decision is yet to be made on where its new home will be.