Court date for owners of hall

ROYTON Assembly Hall’s owners are being taken to court in August.

Whispers Developments Ltd, which purchased the building for £215,000 in 2002, failed to make the site safe, resulting in fines, which have remained unpaid, of £6,699, plus mounting legal costs.

The firm failed to turn up to two meetings with Oldham Council officials to discuss the building’s future.

The council is now taking enforcement action and insists, contrary to reports, that Whispers has not drawn up any new plans with a local contractor over the building.

Council leader Jim McMahon and Councillor Steven Bashforth will attend the hearing at Oldham Magistrates’ Court on August 1 to put an end to what they call “a sorry saga”.