New twist in Assembly Hall saga

Royton Assembly Hall .. still a shell

ROYTON Assembly Hall could end up back in public ownership, as Oldham Council takes steps to buy it back.

This latest twist in the long-running saga over the building’s future follows a pledge made by the new Labour administration to make a bid to reclaim the hall as one of its top priorities.

But its success will depend on what prospective purchasers are prepared to pay — with the council’s hands tied by the law which means it can only pay market value.

Administrators Begbies Traynor LLP were called in last month and a winding up petition brought by the Inland Revenue against Whispers Developments.

The Manchester company purchased the loss-making eyesore Market Square building for £215,000 in 2002. But plans to turn it into a top-notch function venue failed to materialise, and nine years on it still lies unused.

The administrators have now put the derelict building back on the market.

Council leader Jim McMahon said: “I can confirm that Oldham Council has expressed an interest in purchasing Royton Assembly Hall and bringing it back into public ownership. The administrator has to put this property on the open market in order to secure the best possible deal for creditors of Whispers.

“As a local authority we are only legally able to pay what an independent assessor deems to be a fair market rate, so we must wait to see what other interest there might be.”

He added: “We remain fully committed to securing a speedy solution.”