Court date for Hall’s owner

THE long-running Royton Assembly Hall saga is set to reach a dramatic conclusion as the council take owners Whispers Development to court.

The council claim Whispers Development have failed to comply with a number of agreements and the case will be heard at Oldham Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Money for work that was carried out by the council to make the building safe in October 2009, after Whispers Development did not do it, will be reclaimed.

The hall’s owners are also said to have failed to properly secure the site to restrict public access, failed to fix defective guttering by an agreed date and failed to provide a detailed timetable for the completion of work.

Labour councillors have hit out at the owners and pledged to bring the building back into public ownership with a Compulsory Purchase Order.

But the Liberal Democrats have hit back saying this is an empty promise.

Lib Dem Royton South Councillor David Shaw said: “A pledge to compulsorily purchase the former Royton Assembly Hall and take it back into council ownership is another classic empty Labour promise.

“As a resident of Royton for many years, I take great exception to Roytonians being duped.

“Instead of using the dark arts of spin, smoke and mirrors, why didn’t they demonstrate some honesty and genuine commitment by making provision for their pledge in their alternative budget.

“Of course the current situation is one which is completely unacceptable, but Labour did nothing from 2003-2008 except carp and moan.

“By contrast after 18 months or so of this Lib Dem administration we have had more action on this matter than was ever seen under Labour.”

Councillor Shaw has sent a list of questions to the Labour group asking where the money will come from to fund the CPO, what the legal basis for the CPO is and how long Labour think it would take to bring the building back into use.