Padiham Town Hall to reopen

Today, people and organisations have been booking onto tours of the ballroom, cellars and kitchen areas, to look at the restoration work first hand.

Bookings to use the hall can then be made from Monday, December 18th, before the Mayor of Padiham will cut a ribbon to declare the town hall officially open on Monday, January 8th.

Coun. Mohammed Ishtiaq, Executive member for resources at Burnley Council, said: “I would like to thank all the people who have been involved in this major project of repair and renewal – and I would also like to thank the people of Padiham for their patience during the period has been carried out. Major issues such as handling asbestos that had been disturbed in the flood meant that work had to be scheduled in phases.

“The completed works mean that Padiham Town Hall can now be brought back into use, with the added benefit that there is a high level of protection against future flooding, thus reducing the risk of further damage to the building and actual loss.”

Work carried out included installing a new sprung ballroom floor, creating a new bar, kitchen and refreshment area, installing flood barriers, moving essential equipment such as the heating boilers and electrical systems higher up the building, installing a new water pumping system in the basement, upgrading the lighting, installing new pipework and drainage channels, repairing and renewing elements that have been affected by the flood water and re-painting and decorating.

The building has now been formally handed back to Padiham Town Council and Mayor of Padiham, Ken Buckley, said: “We are really pleased that these substantial repairs are complete, and that Padiham Town Council has now taken back responsibility for our town hall.

“The re-opening at the beginning of the new year will mark a new start for Padiham Town Hall. We are really pleased with the restoration work that has been carried out in the ball room, and the other modernising and flood resilience works which have been done. We are all looking forward to opening our door again to friends old and new.”