THE District Auditor's report into Leyburn Town Council's purchase of Thornborough Hall makes for dull reading.

Notably absent is a searing indictment of the council's supposedly abject mismanagement and incompetence, as some of the council's critics suggested it would (and somewhat bizarrely still do). The nearest the report gets to outright criticism is to suggest the council should have been a bit cannier in setting out and preparing the case for the purchase. There is also a warning that the ongoing finances of the hall need close monitoring. There is the potential for the hall to be a millstone round the council's neck if it can't generate sufficient income to cover the running costs.

That is an issue the town council is well aware of and it has already taken some steps to bring revenue into line with costs.

But the report makes it clear there is no question mark over the legality of the purchase. In obtaining substantial funds from the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, the town council has got a good deal for the Leyburn taxpayer.

But most importantly Thornborough Hall is now a valuable community asset, owned by the community and, hopefully, made good use of by the community. Its value can be assessed in terms of market value (£300,000) but more relevantly in terms of how the community might use it. While a large part of it is let to commercial tenants, it also provides a home for the library, the registrar's office and the town's council. There is scope to do more with it.

It is to be hoped townsfolk make use of their new asset and ensure the town council does not end up carrying the burden of an expensive liability.