Eyesore or icon?

Boarded up . . . green and decaying, the town hall today

What would YOU do with Oldham’s historic town hall?
Oldham’s rotting town hall may be seen symbolic of a failure to regenerate the borough — but now councillors want YOUR ideas for how to save it.

The Grade II-listed building, unused for more than 20 years, is so dangerous that only parts of the inside can be viewed. It will cost millions to restore.

But wide-ranging consultation has just begun on the town hall and several other heritage buildings owned by the council, such as the old central library on Union Street.

The consultation was launched on the eve of an exclusive Chronicle tour of the crumbling Yorkshire Street town hall which dates from 1840 and is in a conservation area.

On Thursday, we will carry photographs of the extent of the decay, and see how pigeons have made their homes where Oldham’s forefathers proudly announced the charter creating the borough in 1849, and in the crown courtrooms where judges once dispensed justice.

Oldham Council Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes, aims to get people involved with ideas for its future.

He says other towns have converted their redundant halls into arts venues, wedding and conference centres, a dance school, independent trading spaces and cafes, a dance hall or commercial offices.

He said: “For far too long the state and fate of the old town hall have been the elephant in the living room as far as the regeneration of the town is concerned.

“It is also seen as a constant reminder of the council’s perceived failure to regenerate the borough, even though this is far from true

“The main issue is the cost involved in any scheme. We are talking about millions of pounds and people should bear that in mind.

“How will the money for such a project be prioritised?

“However, this magnificent building will not simply go away and it is up to the council to ensure that it has investigated every possibility to try and bring it back into use.

“There is no quick fix and, in the present economic climate, no guarantee that there will be an immediate solution.

“But it is vital that we thoroughly examine all the options and give everyone interested in the fate of this iconic building the opportunity to share their thoughts.”

Oldham Council moved from the town hall into the £7 million Civic Centre in 1978.

For a few years it was used as a Crown Court.

By 1996, councillors were warned it was being plundered — original furniture vanished, panelling, benches and gilded plaster removed, pigeons roosted in the ballroom and rot spread through timbers because of poor security and maintenance.

In 1997, English Heritage, the Victorian Society, the Ancient Monuments Society and the Council for British Archaeology all believed major features could still be retained and refurbished.

In 1998, came new plans to restore it and link it to Town Square shopping centre, followed plans to turn it into new register office, restaurant or bars.

But, in February this year, developer Wilson Bowden’s £20 million redevelopment plans for leisure use ground to a halt.



See on Thursday for pictures inside the town hall