AN HISTORIC building in Selby is still on the market more than a year after it was first put up for sale.

Selby Magistrates' Court closed in March 2013, despite a public campaign to save the three-storey court building, which had undergone £750,000 refurbishment to make it fully accessible.

In August last year, The Press spoke to estate agency GVA who predicted it the sale of the court in New Street, which was built in the 1920s, would be underway by late 2013, but more than 15 months after it was closed, the building remains unsold and undeveloped.

Matthew Tootell, from GVA, said: "We have had bits of interest but nothing's moving forward as yet. Fingers crossed we will get something.

"You go through ebbs and flows on this kind of product. We had quite a lot of interest but as the market started to improve slightly, people were thinking it might be a bit more than wanted to take on I think that's what happened."

Mr Tootell said the main interest shown in the property had been from developers who intended to carry out "a residential refurbishment", and though he would not say how much the building was on the market for, a different way of selling it could be considered.

He said: "It would be quite a job to take on, but fingers crossed.

"We would probably leave it six to nine months and if no interest probably start looking at an auction for disposal."

Councillor Doreen Davies led the campaign to save the magistrates' court from closure, even presenting a petition of more than 2,500 signatures to Downing Street, and said she was disappointed the building was still empty, and felt the council could look into whether funding to buy the building would be possible.

Coun Davies said: "I don't think it should have closed anyway. I think it's a shame. I got all those signatures of magistrates and solicitors and none of them wanted it to go.

"I think it's a real shame it's closed down. Even the Tories didn't want to close the court. I wonder if we could get some lottery money for it? I would be willing to back that if someone would take it on."