Sandwich's Guildhall and Market Square are to be owned by the town council.

Dover District Council is the present owner and its cabinet has agreed to transfer both to Sandwich Town Council.

District councillors agreed that their town counterparts have more use for the building.

Both places are currently leased to the town council and it is working to turn the building into a heritage asset and improve the square.

The town council wants the freehold to get full control of this project and manage these places long term.

DDC has had no need for the Guildhall since it closed its area office there in April.

DDC Officers recommended that the town council should also get Market Square to help in its regeneration project.

Their report said: "Dover District Council now has no operational requirements for space within the Guildhall and, as the town council is now seeking to make more intensive use of the whole building, the proposed transfer has much to commend it."

They said of the square: "Given that Sandwich Town Council is bringing forward major plans to regenerate this area, it is proposed that this area of land also be transferred to it."

STC is regenerating these places under its New Vision for Sandwich project.

These plans have already led to improvements to Sandwich Museum, which is inside the Guildhall, to house the Magna Carta.

There are also proposals to create a more suitable storage space, an accessible research room and a learning area.

Improvements to the Market Square are to create a more attractive townscape to bring in more residents and tourists and so create more jobs and prosperity to the town.

The Guildhall, with a current capital value of £332,500, is a Grade 2 listed building dating back to 1579.

It was transferred to DDC ownership when local government was reorganised in 1974 and is on a 99-year lease to the town council until 2073.

STC is responsible for repairs and maintenance.

DDC has right to exclusive use of one area, now the former cloakroom, in return paying 9.75% of the costs of repairs, maintenance, lighting, heating and other expenses.

This is usually £9,000 a year, which would no longer have to be paid once STC took ownership.

Market Street's current capital value is £72,000.

The present leasing is under an arrangement called the Sandwich Agreement and that would be terminated.

The freehold of the building and square would be transferred from DDC to STC without payment from either side.