Work announced to transform town hall into multi-use building

Oldham Council are set to begin refurbishment of Royton Town Hall and library to convert it into a family-friendly multi-use space.

The refurbishment of the venue, and the adjoining Royton library, will create a new library area, improved community rooms and commercial space.

The project is part of Oldham’s Creating a Better Place strategy, which will boost regeneration across the borough and support its recovery from the pandemic.

Cllr Arooj Shah, council leader and cabinet member for economic and social reform, said: ‘Royton Town Hall and Library is at the heart of Royton, and we have been committed to improving it for the community for some time.

‘While we would’ve loved work to begin sooner, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic meant that we had to focus our efforts as a council on frontline services and supporting those most in need. We also formally reviewed the programme in Autumn 2020 to reflect on the financial impact Covid-19 was having. 

‘But Royton Town Hall remained a priority and Royton councillors have been pushing for it to progress, so we’re pleased to now be able to move forward with our vision for the building and will ensure work gets started before the end of this year.’

The design will include all the community needs identified in the previous community engagement exercise, with the building’s 1960s rear extension demolished and the cleared area landscaped to create a seating area.

The existing library will be sub-divided into a newly created library area and a commercial space which the Council would like to rent to a local business that is complimentary to the library, such as a café.

A new reception desk will facilitate the new library and offices for council staff, which will extend to the ground floor of the Town Hall.

The upstairs area in the Town Hall will retain its existing community room, which will be refurbished, including a platform lift, accessible toilet and kitchen area.

Work is expected to begin in late 2021, with the project completed by June 2022.

In related news, plans to develop a new British library site for audiences and users in the North of England will take a step forward next week, as senior councillors in Leeds are asked to invest £5m in protecting and stabilising Temple Works.

Photo supplied by Oldham Council