A contractor has been appointed to finish restoration work on Royton’s historic Town Hall following frustration that the project had ‘stalled’.
Royton Town Hall was constructed in 1880 as the purpose-built municipal building for the Local Board and opened by James Ashworth, the first Chairman of Royton Local Board of Health.
Oldham council had announced plans to restore the Rochdale Road building, which is not listed, back in 2017 and went out to tender for a contractor in 2020.
The cabinet has now agreed to appoint a contractor to finish work on site, with a completion date estimated by mid-March next year. It is hoped they will start work on the building by April 17.
Financial information was restricted from the public cabinet documents, but officers stated that there had been ‘significant inflationary pressures’ and ‘cost increases’. In August the authority stated the project was due to cost £2.4m.
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The works include the demolition of the extension buildings and the construction of a new gable end wall, and landscaping the empty space at the back of the building.
The interior will be refurbished to provide a ‘modern, flexible and more accessible community space’, along with a reconfigured library offer, meeting rooms and an improved customer service area.
Council leader Amanda Chadderton said: “I know as a Royton councillor that there have been long-standing frustrations around the redevelopment of Royton Town Hall and library.
“When I became a councillor in 2012 it was on the agenda then and I’m the fifth leader in the past 11 years and we are still yet to see the regeneration of Royton Town Hall and library.
“I committed to being the leader that actually sees this through. It’s a building of huge local significance to us and we promised to restore it and we will restore it.”
Coun Chadderton said she understood residents had been frustrated that the project appeared to have ‘stalled’.
“Certain things are out of our control, there is no denying the war in Ukraine, Brexit and things like that have had an impact on this,” she said.
She told the councillors that the preferred bidder had put forward a fixed price to revamp and restore the building to its ‘original Victorian glory’ and create an ‘improved space for the community to use’.
Coun Chadderton added: “Now that we’ve started work it is crucial that we see it through to maintaining and enhance this important part of our history and we look forward to welcoming the community back to a much-improved building for them to use as soon as work completes next March.”
The meeting was told that so far the clocktower’s copper roof had been repaired, along with the clock face and the 1970s rear extension had been demolished.
Deputy leader Coun Abdul Jabbar added: “It’s an iconic building and it’s much-loved by people in Royton, but actually also people in Oldham as well. Hopefully we can bring back an important landmark building into use.”
Royton Library has temporarily moved to Trinity Methodist Church on Radcliffe Street while the refurbishment is under way.
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