Windlestone Hall sold by Durham County Council back on market for TEN TIMES the price Windlestone Hall, near Rushyford in Durham, was sold by Durham County Council for £241,000 in 2012 The birthplace of former Conservative Prime Minister Anthony Eden is now on sale for £2.5 million The price includes the 30-bedroom grade II* listed mansion, 25 acres of grounds, courtyard, clock tower and cottages Council says they had 'good value' for the sale given its condition and the £3 million in repairs that were needed A stately home sold by a cash-strapped council has increased in value by more than £2 million since the sale - sparking fears the local authority did not negotiate the best deal for the taxpayer. Controversy followed the sale of Windlestone Hall - the birthplace of former Conservative Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden - when it was sold by Durham County Council in 2012 for just £241,000. Now the historic building, near Rushyford, Durham, is being marketed by the new owner and could fetch up to £2.5 million. Windlestone Hall, (pictured) was sold by Durham County Council in 2012 for £241,000 - it could now sell for up to £2.5 million The hall, which is advertised as a 'substantial country house with an abundance of architectural delight', is up for sale along with 25 acres of grounds, stables, courtyard, clock tower and cottages. It has been described by the English Heritage as one of the North-East's 'most historically significant buildings'. Durham County Council defended the sale, and said the £241,000 it raised represented 'good value' after the housing market crash, adding that £3 million worth of repairs were required to bring the hall up to scratch. Sir Anthony Eden (pictured) a former Conservative Prime Minister, was born at Windlestone Hall in 1897 But County Councillor John Shuttleworth, who originally challenged the council over the sale, said: 'The idea that they got best value for it is a load of rot. Heads should roll over this. A spokesman for the Taxpayers' Alliance added: 'This is an extraordinary hike in such a short time, so one can only assume the property was significantly undervalued when it was sold. 'The council isn't a property speculator so was right to offload the property, but it shouldn't have been sold off on the cheap. 'With the council trying to make savings, there's no excuse for negotiating such a bad deal for taxpayers.' Owner William Davenport, 58, said he had hoped developing the site would fund the restoration of the 30-bedroomed grade II* listed mansion to its original splendour. But after failing to secure additional land for a new equestrian centre and seeing a planned sale of seven and-a-half acres of land for executive housing come to nothing, he and his family are selling up. The site is being sold in lots by estate agents Urban Base, which has offices in Newcastle and Durham. The hall, along with the East and West Wing, is being advertised for £1.5 million, the stables, courtyard and clock tower for £395,000, 'The Old Stables' plot for £245,000, six two-storey terraced cottages for £270,000 and a cottage and field for £150,000. Urban Base director Jan Dale said her client felt 'vilified by baseless comments' they had been subjected to since they bought the hall and said it had been newly priced based on comparisons in the area. She said: 'My client bought a property that was in dire condition and there has been an extraordinary amount of work undertaken to stabilise, repair and improve the property. Unfortunately the plans for the property were not realised due to not being able to acquire additional land as originally anticipated. My client has gone to great lengths to understand the best viable and sustainable use for the property going forward and we are looking for a buyer who can do just that. 'It's a beautiful property of significant historical importance and [the owners] should be applauded for rescuing it at a very low point of the real estate market in 2011. A lot of time, money and effort has been invested even after it was known that the property would not be able to used for the original intended purpose. Graeme Blenkinsopp, of Crook-based estate agent Wisemove, who earlier this year was instructed to sell seven acres of land adjacent to the hall, backed both the authority and the owners. Mr Blenkinsopp said Wisemove withdrew its involvement after being told the chances of planning permission for housing was slim. He said: 'The Davenports have done nothing wrong, they were granted an opportunity to buy the hall at a quarter of a million quid and it was worth the investment. The historical building, near Rushyford, Durham, could fetch up to £2.5m after undergoing 'an extraordinary amount of work' Current owner William Davenport had hoped to secure additional land for a new equestrian centre, but is now selling up Durham County Council (pictured) said given the condition of the building the offer they accepted was 'the only viable one we received' The 19th century hall was first built in 1835, incorporating a section of the rear wing which dated back to 1750 Designed by architect Ignatius Bonomi and built for Robert Thompson Eden, the property was the 1897 birthplace of the former Tory prime minister Sir Anthony Eden who led the country between 1955 and 1957 He was a younger son of Sir William Eden, baronet, and Sybil Frances Grey, a member of the famous Grey family of Northumberland His family sold the hall in the 1920s and it was later used as a prisoner of war camp before becoming a school for youngsters with emotional and behavioural difficulties There has been no underhand dealing by the local authority or the owners. The council had something that they thought was a liability, they offered it on the open market and people offered what they thought. The mistake the council probably made was not offering it back to the open market and inviting an increased offer. Ian Thompson, Durham County Council's corporate director of regeneration, said: 'An external auditor carried out a full investigation into the sale of Windlestone Hall and concluded that it was not possible to substantiate claims that the council could have made more money from the sale. 'The auditor also found that the sale was compliant with the council's policy requirements. 'The property was on the market for a number of years, during which time we worked extremely hard to secure an offer that would protect the building's historic importance and also provide the best value for money for the council. Given the condition of the building, the state of the market, the very significant maintenance costs that were being incurred by the council and the limitations on any possible development in the grounds, the offer we eventually accepted was the only viable one we received. As well as generating £240,000 for the council, the sale of the hall has delivered substantial savings to the council, including £300,000 since November 2011 on security, heating and repair costs. The council is also no longer responsible for carrying out the £3m of urgent repairs that the building required.