Demolition to make way for new town hall is 'music to the ears' of the arts community in Falkirk

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The news that demolition will start soon on the building that will make way for Falkirk 's new town hall has been welcomed by the local arts community.

Falkirk Council says work will start in May to demolish Callendar Square shopping centre, which it bought in January, with a target date for the replacement town hall to be built by November 2027.The council was heavily criticised for closing and demolishing the old building before a replacement had been agreed. Read more: Falkirk Council consultation on cutting school hours to go ahead as councillor challenge fails John Paterson, chairman of Falkirk Arts Network, said hearing that the plans are moving forward was "music to my ears", although he is aware there is still "a long road ahead of us".Mr Paterson said: "People were driven to tears when they witnessed the demolition of the building which played such an important part in their lives."Any news that indicates that we are getting closer to the day when that new facility is available to us is, of course, music to our ears but there is a long road ahead of us before that day comes and it is vital that local politicians remain committed to the plan as an integral part of the town-centre regeneration strategy."Mr Paterson said he was encouraged to hear that the proposal still includes a 550-seat auditorium.He said: "This is the minimum size that makes sense for the activities that will take place there."It is, however, vital that we also have appropriate on-stage, back-stage and front of house facilities.

Many different types of activities will take place in the new building."It is important, therefore, that user-groups have the opportunity to make the design consultants aware of their requirements at an early stage in