Rochdale Town Hall’s Supplementary Repairs Could Cost £1m

Expenditure exceeding £1m is a possibility for the restoration of Rochdale Town Hall’s clock and the historical steps situated at the rear of the Victorian structure. According to Rochdale Council, the £1.08m designated for these tasks represents an elevated projection, with the council anticipating the final expenses to be less. Officials within the local authority sanctioned these repairs as part of an extra £3.5m in projected spending, which will be funded through borrowing. The Grade-I listed town hall, conceived by Leeds architect William Crossland, commenced operations in 1871. A £20m renovation project has been underway at Rochdale Town Hall since 2021. Nevertheless, certain local residents have voiced concerns regarding the clock’s precision. The council stated that the clock’s mechanism, being over 60 years old, had only remained operational through provisional fixes. It indicated that further work is now required, with an estimated expenditure reaching £180,000. Concurrently, approximately £900,000 has been designated for the repair of the medieval steps ascending towards the Parish Church of St Chad. The council reported that these steps, situated on the hill behind the town hall, are currently “unsafe to use”. It added: “The historic significance of this site, coupled with the fact that it is in a conservation area, requires a high standard of work, including the use of high quality, heritage materials, to ensure the historic appearance and fabric of the structure is maintained.” Since 2020, council meetings have taken place at Number One Riverside, but they are scheduled to relocate back to the town hall next year following the completion of its refurbishment. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is accessible.