The Christchurch City Council's contentious sale of its asset City Care has been called off.

City Care until now was still on the chopping block, despite the council scaling back on its asset sales programme.

Lobby group Keep Our Assets Canterbury has been regularly protesting the sale at the council's monthly meeting, calling the councillors who supported the sale as sell outs.

Keep Our Assets holding silent protest over sale of City Care at Christchurch City Council meeting. @NewstalkZB pic.twitter.com/utgjTugGXc

— Charlie Greenhalgh (@CharlieNewstalk) June 22, 2016

Mayor Lianne Dalziel said last year’s decision to seek interest in the sale of the Council-owned company was always based on getting the best commercial outcome for the city.

However, she said when the council reviewed the preferred offer they decided it wasn't compelling enough to go through with the sale.