CAMPAIGN: Hundreds in bid to save Rawtenstall town hall

The Friends of Rawtenstall want to see a ‘more sympathetic’ design for the town’s proposed new bus station.

MORE TOP STORIES:

And the campaigners want to safeguard the town hall, constructed in 1875, which started life as an exchange building, as part of their aims.

The fight has already seen a controversial banner erected at an elevated property in Haslingden Road and the creation of a Facebook group.

Group spokesman Peter Wood said: “We have a once in a generation chance to fix the mistakes of the past.

“Rawtenstall was one a very successful town, it should be and it can be again. Please let’s not waste it for our own sake as well as that of future generations.”

Councillor Darryl Smith, leader of the valley’s Conservative group, has met with the campaign group, whose views echo the opposition expressed by Rossendale Civic Trust.

“One of the things we have been saying is that the old town hall could be retained as part of the overall development,” said Cllr Smith, who represents Eden ward.

“The controlling Labour group has said that they want to see office space as part of the new bus station and we believe that the town hall could provide that, rather than spending £3.5 million on a glass and steel building, which is a lot of money.”

Proposals by the RTB Partnership for the former Valley Centre site and adjoining former council offices and former police station, are due to be discussed by the borough council’s development control committee in June.

The town hall has been vacant since 2005 and various discussions regarding converting the building into either a hotel, an artisan market and craft centre, or a mini-market, failed to reach fruition.

Council bosses say the cost of refurbishing the old town hall, which has suffered fire and water damage, would be about £2.19 million.

The old town hall, given a nominal value of £80,000 was transferred to the developers, with the offices and police station, in March.