THE future of a historical landmark remains unclear after failing to sell at an auction today, Tuesday.

Tyldesley Top Chapel went under the hammer at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford with the grade II-listed building’s owner Cadence Festivals Limited looking for offers in excess of £127,500.

But the property failed to attract a figure of that value with the owner now open to post-auction bids.

The company is free to sell it after a six-month memorandum ensuring it could only be sold to a community interest group ended recently. 

Peter Tyldesley set up the Tyldesley Building Preservation Trust along with councillors Joanne Marshall, Stephen Hellier and Nazia Rehman in an attempt to purchase the landmark but the group was unable to place a bid in the auction.

Peter said: "It is obviously disappointing that it has not been possible for the trust to secure Tyldesley Top Chapel for community use.

"There will be few purchasers prepared to take on the necessary remedial work to the building with the initial costs likely to be close to £300,000.

"It has a long backlog of outstanding repairs and some significant faults including structural movement in the west, east and south walls as well as dry rot and displaced roof timbers.”

The chapel, which was built in 1789, was bought by Cadence Cafe CIC for £50,000 in September 2015 after being awarded £188,200 by the council’s Deal for Communities Investment Fund to enable it to be used as a multi-purpose community hub.

The building was controversially put up for auction as a commercial property just eight months later after its ownership was transferred to Cadence Festivals Limited.

In April the owner told the council, which had listed the chapel as an asset of community value, that it had accepted an offer for the building without revealing the buyer's identity.

The six-month reprieve stopped the deal from going ahead.