Time added on for the QE Hall

THE Queen Elizabeth Hall will stay open until December, seven months longer than originally planned, Oldham Council has confirmed.

Bookings are now being taken for the town-centre venue until the end of the year, after which the hall will close for the construction of Hotel Future which is expected to be debated in June.

Hotel Future, which will create many jobs, will be the predominant feature in a new Oldham Civic Square.

Darren Jones, the council’s director of development and infrastructure, said: “We’ve always been keen to keep the QE Hall open as long as possible to avoid disruption until physical works begin.”

A world-first, Hotel Future will double as a full-time vocational training centre. The facility will become the bigger brother of the neighbouring QE Hall, which will be refurbished and linked to the hotel.