THE FUTURE of Cleckheaton Town Hall was debated by Kirklees Council thanks to the efforts of thousands from the community.

In September 2023, Cabinet agreed to mothball the historic building to save cash, with council documents revealing the hall was in need of £5m worth of maintenance works and was costing £175k per year to run.

The community has repeatedly raised concern that the hall has been “neglected” by the local authority, with safety issues found above the stage in 2022 but yet to be repaired years later. Reports dating as far back as 2015 revealed that boilers were found ‘unfit’, though the council has since said the heating system is working “effectively”.

The full council meeting heard from Cleckheaton ward councillor, Andrew Pinnock, who said that a new report seen by ward members, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, Cllr Graham Turner, and senior council officers, showed that the building was “generally structurally sound”.

He said: “The main cause for concern apart from the falling plaster which was the cause of the original closure is the lack of regular maintenance. Consequently, many of the features and systems in the building, like the electrics or fire doors and things like that, need to be upgraded and there of course is a cost attached to that.

“But this is a capital asset – the council’s capital asset – and needs to be maintained to a proper standard to stop problems in the future.” 

This insight came during the debate that was triggered by the 3,000 plus signatures on the petition organised by Cllr Pinnock.

He added: “Cleckheaton town hall is one of the four major town halls in this borough, all of which are prized assets, or should be. They are all listed buildings and all have features of note. They all have a proud and cherished place within each of their communities.

“However, Cleckheaton town hall is different from the others in that it is closed and has been either wholly or in part for two years. More than that, over the past 20 years or so, it has missed out on vital maintenance when the other town halls did receive this attention.”

Councillor Pinnock urged Cabinet to take a decision to carry out the necessary repairs as soon as possible.

His ward colleague and Leader of the Lib Dem Group, Cllr John Lawson, told the meeting: “It’s not just a building, it’s a social dynamo humming away in the town centre and that is what has not been understood when promised investment repeatedly failed to arrive. 

“Businesses have lost out without question. The town hall as a destination brought a lot of footfall, parents grabbing a cuppa while their children rehearsed, perhaps doing a bit of shopping along the way, people arriving early to concerts so that they could have a meal.”

Leader of the Conservative group, Cllr David Hall, said: “These things are foreseeable if we don’t invest in the assets we have, and this is a choice that is being made by the administration, because as we’ve pointed out many a time, the administration are still proposing to put tens of millions of pounds into Huddersfield into this events space which I feel is not necessary. 

“The cost of doing so of course is that we haven’t that money to invest in our existing assets which are now falling to rack and ruin and into dilapidation.”

On the events held at the venue, Cllr Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield) said: “These not only benefit the immediate town hall, but they benefit the wider community. The money that the folk festival alone brings into the vast area of Spenborough constituency cannot be underestimated.”

Councillor Graham Turner said: “We are working on a very detailed report that not only looks at Cleckheaton Town Hall but looks at the wider assets across the north of Kirklees. That will come to Cabinet when it’s completed…we need to make sure this report has everything we’re looking for before we make any decision on the future of it.

“No one can doubt the passion and public support there is for Cleckheaton Town Hall and that’s why I think this debate was important and it’s really interesting to hear the views of other people before we finalise that report.”

Councillor Turner also spoke of the various political groups who have formed the council’s administration over the years and added: “If it’s a failure of investment, it’s a failure on all our parts, not just this administration.”