Aberystwyth Town Council spent £360,000 of taxpayers’ money on buying the town’s former Catholic church to “serve the community for generations to come”, the Cambrian News can reveal.

The town council said it was “delighted” that it had completed the “historic” purchase of the former St Winefride’s Church on Queen’s Road, with plans in place to transform it into a “much-needed civic and community centre.”

Originally marketed last August at offers around £250,000 by the diocese, which closed it in favour of revamping a church in Penparcau in a controversial move, the town council ended up paying £360,000 for the building due to the “buoyant market”, using cash reserves it had built up “over a number of years”.

The building is the first to be owned by Aberystwyth Town Council since 1974.

The council said that, with more services being taken on by community councils due to “long-term financial pressures at the county level”, the town council also needs accommodation as it pays “significant rent” for its premises on Baker Street “which are problematic in terms of access and which do not encourage public participation”.

“The former St Winefride’s will hopefully provide all the space needed for both the council’s use and that of community groups the council aims to support,” the council said.

“A large space for community events is also very much needed and this of course would also be available in the refurbished church building.”

The council said that “over a number of years” it had “built up a cash reserve for the purchase of a building as part of its long-term financial plan which would ultimately provide much better value for money, but had previously failed to find a suitable property”.

“There was a great deal of buyer interest in the site, as it came up for sale during a very buoyant phase in the local housing market and increased interest in moving to the west coast,” the council added.

“Fortunately for Aberystwyth, the council’s offer of £360,000 was accepted.

“An independent valuation has confirmed that this is a reasonable price.”

Aberystwyth mayor Cllr Alun Williams said: “We are living through unprecedented times, bringing to the forefront the importance of green and community spaces and here the council has the opportunity to provide both.

“The council very much wants to provide the local community with a civic and community facility to be proud of and which people have asked for going back many years.

“Whilst it will take time to access the funding for the refurbishment work needed, the purchase of the first town council-owned property, since the days of the Aberystwyth Borough Council pre-1974, is a historically significant step forward for the town.

“Hopefully it can serve the community for generations to come.”

The town council’s first priority will be to make the building secure before starting work on using the presbytery as offices.