£700,000 Town Hall repairs underway

Photo: Pictures by DARREN ROBINSON

DUST from brick pointing glows bright white as workmen begin repair work.

WORKMEN have taken to the skies to start on £700,000 repair works to make Oldham Town Hall stable and weatherproof.

Hard hats and harnesses were used by staff from Stockport-based company Aura Conservation who got stuck into preliminary works on the Grade II listed building.

The work, which will last 10 weeks, will see the roof sealed and building made safe.

Opened in 1841, the historic site has been festering since it closed in 1995 and was named one of the nation’s top 10 endangered buildings by the Victorian Society in 2009.

The funding has been approved as part of Oldham Council’s 2010 to 2013 capital programme.

A further £900,000 would then be needed to bring it up to a fit state for redevelopment and to attract a developer.