A council has voted to sell off a former town centre arts hub.

No.34 Sittingbourne High Street, which had been the Swale Media Arts Centre, will go on the market following Swale council's decision.

The authority had purchased the property for £220,000 in 2015 and had leased it out to the community group four years ago.

The Community Interest Company (CIC) paid the authority £6,000 in rent a year, but served notice to terminate the contract on February 11 and closed on April 4.

Ken Rowles, who set up the centre in June 2021, told KentOnline at the time that it was “annoying” that it would be shutting.

He said: “The gallery has made a great impact on the town.

“We were told by the landlord that they couldn’t guarantee another five-year extension on our lease, which, because we’re a charity, we would need for further funding.”

It had offered arts and crafts workshops, room hire, a community gallery to hire, as well as community events, activities, and family workshops.

Since it closed, the building has been empty.

Councillors decided to sell off the property at its economy and property meeting at Swale House on Tuesday, July 8.

Swale council says it cannot reveal how much it expects to sell the building for because it could impact the price.

A council spokesman said: “We will now appoint agents who will openly market the property to prospective buyers.”