Campaigners bidding to run a major building themselves have received a boost after an MP gave her support to the project.

The Hornsey Town Hall Appreciation Society are attempting to run the hall to keep it in public use, after european ruling led the council to put it up for bids from any interested party.

On Monday 16 November, the council published an OJEU notice – an official invitation for bids.

The Appreciation Society bid has recieved the backing of Catherine West, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green.

She spoke at a society meeting last week (pictured), and pledged her support.

She told the Tottenham and Wood Green Independent: “I think the Hornsey Town Hall Appreciation society are a fantastic organisation and they are doing exactly the right thing.

“I fully support the town hall being kept for community use, and if there is a residential element, that must be at least 50% affordable housing.”

Hornsey Town Hall, a Grade II listed building in Crouch End, used to house the borough council and offices. It went unused for a number of years, before opening earlier in the year to the public.

A number of small businesses operate from the hall, with the main area being used for events such as big screen showings of Rugby World Cup matches.

The council, however, say it is in a state of “significant disrepair” and needs £10million in funding to make it fit for use.

Cllr Alan Strickland, Haringey Council cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said: “We’re committed to finding the right future for Hornsey Town Hall – one that will bring the significant investment and careful restoration needed to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy this much-loved building.

“Far from simply ‘selling to the highest bidder’ we want to see innovative, imaginative and viable bids that offer an exciting future for the Town Hall.

“All bidders will be assesses against a set of clear criteria, including community access. Any bids that fail to meet these criteria will not be successful.”

David Winskill, a member of the Appreciation Society, said that he was concerned the vague “community access” term used by the council could be interpreted in a number of loose ways.

He said: “It is a pretty vague term and could mean a hotel with a cocktail bar and a pianist in the corner, or access to the gym in the basement.

“The main message is that this is no longer hypothetical - the town hall is for sale.

“We had a well-attended meeting yesterday in the hall with nearly fifty people representing arts and community groups as well as creatives renting space, to get a mandate for what the society is doing and allowing us to talk on their behalf to developers.

“They are all absolutely determined that the building should be used as an arts centre with small business start-up units as well as facilities for community events.”

Chris Currer, one of the founders of the Appreciation Society, said: "The past few months have been a period of great uncertainty with delays and false starts.

"At last we can have a look at the documents and find out what Haringey are asking prospective developers to deliver, especially how they will meet the high expectations for community access that the thousands of people who have signed our petition have demanded."

Bidders will be expected to demonstrate how they can meet the objectives of restoring the Town Hall, developing the surrounding site and securing a sustainable future.