A NEW era beckons for a much-loved community hall in Bradford - after hundreds of people fought to save it.

Bradford Council has confirmed it has agreed to lease Victoria Hall in Queensbury to the Queensbury Community Programme (QCP) group after long-running talks.

The Telegraph & Argus previously reported that Bradford Council had planned to shut the listed building this year - with a Labour councillor saying the cash-strapped authority proposed to then sell it.

An online petition - calling for Victoria Hall to be saved from closure - was signed by nearly 2,500 people.

A nursery operates from Victoria Hall and it has also been used by a number of different community groups and clubs over the years. 

Now, after the Council told the Telegraph & Argus that the building would be leased to QCP, the group said it would work to raise funds over the next two years to bring Victoria Hall "back to a full working building".

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We know Victoria Hall is a much-loved local asset to people in Queensbury and have been working hard with QCP to keep the property in community use. 

"Council officers have now agreed terms with QCP representatives, and solicitors have been instructed to lease Victoria Hall to them. This is expected to commence in August."

A QCP spokesperson said: "In conjunction with Bradford Council, QCP has worked very hard over the last five years to finally get an agreement over the line. 

"But now the hard work begins. 

"Over the next two years, QCP will be looking to raise funds and grants to bring Victoria Hall back to a full working building. 

"We feel sure that the people of Queensbury will assist in any way possible to make this happen."

Labour Councillors Alex Mitchell and Hazel Johnson, who represent Queensbury on Bradford Council, said they were "pleased to see progress on this".

Cllr Mitchell added: "We were successful in securing an extension to allow these talks and are pleased that a much-loved, historic building will remain available for the community. 

"We will remain on hand to assist QCP in making a success of it."

QCP previously revealed how it had agreed a tenancy at will with Bradford Council in December 2019 to maintain Victoria Hall.

At a meeting in December last year, councillors heard that QCP members had been blindsided when they were handed an eviction notice and told that the Council, which owns the building, planned to close it.