Friday, July 5, 2019

News: Wath Hall campaigners close in on funding target

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A local group is close to reaching its funding target so it can acquire the former Wath Town Hall in Rotherham and use it as a community hub.

Rothbiz reported last year that Rotherham Council had been presented with a option that would enable the building to be used for the benefit of the local community by a community interest group.

The proposal was unanimously approved and Wath Hall Preservation Society Ltd, a single purpose vehicle, and Wath Hall Ltd, current custodians, have been working hard to put together a business plan and funding bids alongside efforts to raise the required cash.

The core building is a Georgian mansion, which can be traced back to its construction in the 1770s. The Town Hall has been a Council owned property for over 100 years, firstly as the Town Hall for Wath Urban District Council and latterly as a branch office. It closed in 2011 and in 2015, the Council declared that the hall was surplus to requirements and its future became uncertain.

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Closing in on £90,000, the group has extended its share off until July 7. Reaching the target will provide the match funding to secure an extra £90,000 as the purchase and a basic programme of repairs to start to bring the hall back into use will cost at least £180,000.

Pledges of around £60,000 were initially made by philanthropic individuals towards the cost of purchase and on Tuesday the total had reached £86,750 through a community share offer.

Securing the property is the next stage in a long term plan to enable its development and restoration as a sustainable heritage centre, creative business hub and community facility.

The funding would also be used for essential repairs to enable the building to be partially brought back into use with creative business units and community rooms available for hire, mainly in the 1960s extension.

A future second phase is planned, to commence the major restoration works, requiring further capital grants. This could include the restoration of the former council chamber space, as it would have been in the 1920s.

Wath Hall website

Images: Wath Hall Ltd

1 comments:

M Benson,  July 5, 2019 at 2:03 PM  

Good news. Let's hope they can get the last [small] amount needed.

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