Plans for third phase of huge £16m restoration of Grade One-listed Rochdale Town Hall revealed

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Plans for the third phase of a multi-million pound restoration of Rochdale’s Grade One-listed town hall have been revealed. Often described as a ‘neo-gothic masterpiece’, Rochdale Town Hall is considered to be one of the finest municipal buildings in the country.

Designed by William Crossland, it opened in 1871 as a symbol of the town’s industrial might – its ornate stylings rivalled only by the Palace of Westminster according to Historic England.

A £16m restoration of the Victorian building, part funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has been fully underway for the past two years. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. The council said the historic icon on The Esplanade needed ‘extensive work’, which would allow it to be fully opened to all residents the first time, complete with exhibition rooms and a new hall for community events. “The building was falling into a poor state of repair and it had become vital that it was preserved for generations to come,” the council stated. “The interior was starting to become damaged and the building’s roof needed replacing.” Two phases of work have already begun in 2021, which included major structural work and a new Town Hall square – the second phase of which is now ‘nearing completion’.

Now the proposals for third phase have been been lodged. These concern the west wing, and the repair and restoration of the circulation space, and restoration of the existing council chamber.