Ouraged residents have complained that plans to sell off a historic building originally bequeathed to the people of Marlow is "immoral" and should be reconsidered.

Scores of residents have appealed against the decision by Red Kite Community Housing to the sell grade-II listed New Court manor in Liston Court, saying it should be put to community use.

But Red Kite insists it is not fit for purpose and there is nothing in the deeds to prevent it from being sold, with proceeds needed to reinvest in social housing projects.

Many Marlovians are outraged at the proposal, believing the house remains the property of the town and is not eligible to be sold off.

One concerned MFP reader Hazel Budd said: "It’s immoral to sell it off. The people of Marlow are against it.

"I’m talking about people whose parents and grandparents were born here.

"I think it would make a lovely library, and the museum is looking for somewhere new. What better place than Mrs Liston’s old house?

"It’s absolutely disgusting. Mrs Liston left the house and grounds to the people of Marlow, and the next thing you know it will be an office block."

The site was owned by the Liston family until Nesta Sybil Liston’s death in 1970, when she bequeathed the house and grounds to the then Urban District Council of Marlow.

Wycombe District Council then transferred the whole site to Red Kite in 2011 with the rest of its housing stock - minus part of the gardens and the car park - which are still maintained as public space by WDC.

The decision to sell the older part of the house has sparked an outcry from residents, with many angry that Red Kite should be allowed to part with such a historic landmark.

Former resident Mavis Roberts said: "I lived there for a while and it is such a lovely building, it will be a crime if it goes."

And Beverley Emans took to social media to say the decision is "like selling the Crown Jewels".

Red Kite is re-housing some of the tenants in Liston House and New Court, before selling off the older parts. As a listed building, New Court will not be demolished.

The association says it is a "common misconception" that Liston House belongs to the town, with only part of the gardens ring-fenced for public use when WDC handed it over.

The not-for-profit group says it will retain part of the site, and will use the proceeds to invest heavily in its social housing schemes throughout the district.

Spokesman Zosia Katnik said: "A small part of the garden has been retained by the Council and is to be used by the people of Marlow. Clearly this is something that the Council will continue to be responsible for.

"As a not-for-profit, community housing association, we use the income that we receive to improve the homes and services that we provide and to build new homes.

"In partnership with our tenants, and on the basis of the detailed reviews and surveys that we have carried out, we believe that the decisions during our review are the most beneficial for our customers and our business in the future.

"Improving homes and regenerating other areas is a priority for us, so our customers and communities will benefit directly from these decisions."