TOWN HALL FRIENDS TO MEET ON THURSDAY

The Friends of Hebden Bridge Town Hall, now more than five hundred strong, are being invited to a special meeting this Thursday (15th April). The event will be the opportunity to celebrate the transfer of the Town Hall into community ownership, and to hear from the trustees of plans for the future.

According to Peter Hirst of Hebden Bridge Community Association, the charity established to run the Town Hall, a great deal is currently going on. “We have come a long way in the short time since our AGM last Autumn. The agreement with Calderdale council to protect the long-term future of the building has been finalised and we have already brought in the builders who are busy creating our new Waterfront hall downstairs,” he says. He adds that proposals for a major new community development on the land at the side and rear of the current Town Hall are also advancing quickly

It was local concern over the long-term future of the Town Hall, which first surfaced several years ago, which led to an approach to Calderdale to consider an ‘asset transfer’ of the building and land into the hands of the Community Association. Hebden Bridge is one of the first towns in the country to have successfully negotiated the transfer of the Town Hall into community ownership. The Association took over management responsibilities at the start of this month.

Thursday’s meeting will provide a chance to view the work which has already taken place to improve the Town Hall, and to find out more about the facilities now being made available to local groups and individuals. The trustees will also be announcing a new initiative to improve the Town Hall’s record on recycling and environmental sustainability.

The meeting takes place in the Town Hall at 7pm for 7.15pm start, and is scheduled to last until 8.15pm.