CAMPAIGNERS bidding to save a historic Bishop's Waltham landmark are claiming victory after the parish council's decision to delay the imminent sale while a public meeting is held.

Residents in the village have criticised the council for not giving any warning that the 100-year-old institute building was to be sold off and have demanded that a public meeting be held.

But parish council leaders have reacted angrily to the accusation that a deal had been done behind closed doors by claiming several parish meetings where the institute was discussed were open to the public.

Chairman of Bishop's Waltham Parish Council Eric Birbeck said: "As far as we are concerned the council has done everything right. The future of the institute has been on several of our agendas for meetings that the public can come to but they never do."

"The only time we hear for them is when it is too late but there have been many occasions when they could have voiced their views after all that is the democratic process."

Mr Birbeck added that delaying the sale of the institute that stands on the corner of Bank Street and Shore Road will not alter the decision to sell it off.

He said: "This meeting is to ask the public their views on what we should do with the money that will be raised from the sale of the building.

"Because of the Charity Commission's involvement we have to put the money back into schemes and projects for the community and that is what the meeting will be about."

However, campaigners say the decision to delay the sell-off is a step forward. Martin Eustace said: "It's good news that the council are listening to the people who actually own the institute as the building is bequeathed to the villagers.

"It worries me though that the parish council seem to have taken the decision to sell off this village building without letting us know and that concerns me.

"Hopefully this meeting will be a chance for the residents to have their say."

But Mr Birbeck said the decision to sell the building, that has been closed to the public since June, wasn't taken lightly.

He said: "The fact is the institute costs us money to run every year.

"We have spent £47,000 on it in repairs in the past 12 years, so at the end of the day we had to decide whether we could continue spending public money on it."

The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 16 at Jubilee Hall, Bishop's Waltham, at 7.30pm.