A FORMER Council library building went for far more money than the guide price when it was auctioned.

Auctioneers Pugh put the former Bailiff Bridge library building at Devon Way under the hammer with a guide price of £79,000.

But in the event, it raised £139,000 when auctioned online by the company.

The building was closed by Calderdale Council in January 2019 due to health and safety concerns, with alternatives including Hipperholme, Brighouse and Halifax’s Central Library being used by most customers, said the authority.

As such, with Council finances tight, the Council’s financial situation meant spending money on it was not an option, councillors heard at the time, with money raised from the sale to go into central funds.

The auction site describes the building, which is about two miles north of Brighouse, as “a residential development opportunity".

There is an existing outline planning consent for demolishing the existing building to enable development there of two homes.