Assembly hall saga goes on

WHAT it does look like . . . The frame of the restaurant, , pictured nine days’ ago

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

Company defends offering lease before finished

ROYTONERS will be surprised to discover that they have a brand new banquet hall and restaurant in their midst.

At least, that’s what the developers behind the new assembly hall are suggesting on the website of a major property company.

Businesses logging on to the website of commercial property agents Roger Hannah and Co will find a listing for a banqueting hall and restaurant in Middleton Road, Royton, which, according to the information provided, will be completed by the end of September this year.

The listing, which was last updated on August 21, offers the lease of the hall for £100,000 per acre, even though it still looks largely unfinished.

The notice says the hall boasts a newly-built restaurant area with floor to ceiling windows and a large, two-storey banquet hall.

But while the entry says that the £2 million rebuild will be completed by the end of September, almost a month later the only evidence of a restaurant remains a steel structure, which has been branded an eyesore by locals.

Although Whispers, the developers behind the hall, has merely listed the build and are not yet advertising, the move is set to baffle Roytoners, who have seen many prospective opening dates come and go.

Councillor Steve Bashforth branded the situation a farce and “like something out of ‘Fawlty Towers’.”

He said: “I’m speechless to be honest. Whispers has always made it clear that it wanted to rebuild the hall and then let someone else run it, but you wouldn’t expect it to be advertising it when it is clearly so far from being finished.

“I think that expecting it to be finished by the end of September was optimistic to say the least. Perhaps they were trying to pioneer al fresco dining in the centre of Royton.

“This advert is clearly a nonsense and I really think they should be concentrating on getting the building finished before they start trying to look for someone to take it over.

“I just hope they don’t start advertising and getting businesses interested and let them down by not finishing on time. That won’t do much good for the reputation of the area.”

Another local said: “It’s about time this was finished. There are so many organisations, including charities, in the area who are crying out for a place like that which they could use as a venue..”

But Shoeb Choudhary, development manager at Whispers Developments, robustly defended their move.

He said: “Many developers start looking for people to take over a completed build before they have even laid the first brick and we are actually unusual in doing it the other way round.

“The inside, a 600-capacity banqueting suite, is completely finished, and the only things that need to be done are the perimeter path, the garden at the front and the restaurant.

“We have only placed the listing in respect of the restaurant and we expect the outside of the restaurant to be finished, with the roof and windows all in place, by Christmas.

“The inside will then be kitted out and the whole thing should be finished by spring, although we can’t give a month.

“We accept that the timeline is slightly different from what appeared on the listing, but I don’t think the listing is misleading.

“This place was a mess before we took it on and it will be a massive improvement when we’re done.”