HUNDREDS have signed a petition over Cleckheaton Town Hall amid rumours and fears it could permanently close.

It has previously been reported that Cleckheaton Folk Festival and other events in Cleckheaton’s calendar that rely on its town hall had been forced to cancel or relocate as the venue needs repairs due to being unsafe.

The affected area is above the main stage but the Council says it needs to carry out a survey to see if the damage extends further.

The Council has been aware of the issues since July last year but the necessary repairs are yet to be made.

This has seen a number of events cancelled - including the nationally acclaimed Cleckheaton Folk Festival.

Festival director Dave Minich attended a meeting of Kirklees Council on July 12 looking for answers about the future of the town hall.

He said: “It’s the one weekend in the Cleckheaton calendar that brings visitors into the town from the length and breadth of the UK in the hope of enjoying a top-class artist lineup in a top-class venue.

“Each year we book world-class artists in accordance with the vision in the Kirklees music policy and the town hall is the only suitable venue. These are the artists that attract our paying audience which allows us to fund everything else including a wealth of free events for the local community.

“Rumours are currently circulating that the Council wants to close the town hall forever so I’m sure you would like to join me in dispelling these rumours by fully identifying the issues and putting a realistic time scale and schedule for the works for repair.

"Cleckheaton Town Hall is a beautiful building used by many sections of our local community and beyond but it is in need of some tender loving care so that it can be enjoyed by many for many years to come.”

Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for regeneration, said he understood the frustrations of the speakers “fully” but that it wasn’t possible to clarify the time scales and that alternative venues would need to be considered for next year.

He explained that due to the nature of the building being listed, it needed to be handled carefully and that this could be a slow process.

Following the meeting, the Council was asked to address the rumours around the town hall closure.

In response, Cllr Turner said while the main hall is closed, the building itself remains open. 

He added: “Scaffolding is soon to be installed around the hall to enable investigation works to take place to the ceiling above the concert hall. This work will take some time, with results of the surveys not likely to be known until early autumn.

"The Council will then need to understand what works need to be undertaken and their cost. 

“Further announcements will be made once the results from our surveys have been received.”