Plans submitted for the transformation of Rochdale Town Hall

Plans to restore the grade I-listed Rochdale Town Hall and its setting have been submitted to Rochdale Council as part of a detailed planning application. The £16m redevelopment of the Gothic town hall will open up the space to the town’s people and its visitors.

As well as significant repair work to restore the 149-year-old building and its historic features by conservation architects Donald Insall Associates, the proposals include stunning raised terraces designed by Gillespies that help to link the inside and outside spaces.

Gillespies is also responsible for the proposed re-imagination of the public realm surrounding the town hall and the creation of a large, civic square that will become the most prestigious public space in the Rochdale.

These future plans include the removal of the road and parking in front of the town hall to create a large paved plaza with extensive pockets of greenery and seating, which will help establish a convivial setting for social interaction and events. This new public realm will re-connect the Town Hall with the grade one-listed cenotaph and memorial gardens, as well as other heritage and cultural assets, such as the river re-opening and Touchstones gallery and museum.

The newly designed square will deliver a world-class setting for the town hall and a public space that will rival the best public squares in Europe.

A first stage application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the project was approved in 2018, with the council being awarded funding to develop the plans in more detail. A decision on the second round application, to help fund the restoration, is set to be made in September.

The project is being delivered by Rochdale Development Agency on behalf of Rochdale Council. Additional consultants working on the town hall project include Max Fordham, Frank Whittle Partnership, Price & Myers, Focus Consultants, Redman Design, The Heritage Angel, Buro Happold, Turner & Townsend and Donald Insall Associates.