Councillors back listed status for Westhoughton town hall and library

Liberal Democrat councillors Alison Jackson, Ryan Hough, Arthur Price, Gillian Wroe and Linda Maher outside Westhoughton Library

Liberal Democrat town councillors have fully supported proposals to give listed status to Westhoughton Town Hall and Library.

Historic England were asked to make a recommendation to the Government after carrying out an inspection of the buildings on 20 June.

The organisation has published its findings and asked Westhoughton Town Council to provide comments. It will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State about the potential for the buildings to be listed as being of special architectural or historic interest.

At a meeting of the town council on Monday night, town councillors threw their weight behind Historic England’s proposals.

Councillor David Wilkinson, who represents Westhoughton South ward, said: “This is a great report from Historic England which really highlights the importance of these buildings. We all know what fantastic buildings they are but this report confirms that with technical details from the experts.”

It comes just days after Westhoughton North Liberal Democrat councillor Arthur Price quizzed Bolton Council leaders about the future of the town hall.

Councillors Ryan Hough, David Wilkinson, Arthur Price, Linda Maher and Gillian Wroe at Westhoughton Town Hall

Bolton Council is considering the next steps in plans to refurbish the Town Hall and Carnegie Hall, but it confirmed that previous controversial plans to alter the original windows had now been dropped.

The Historic England report says that the Town Hall and Library are architecturally significant examples of Mannerist Renaissance style. The Town Hall's clock tower, entrance bay, and the Library's central entrance pediment are noteworthy design elements. The buildings have played roles in the local community, with the Town Hall serving as council offices and the Library being a significant example of a Carnegie library. The report emphasises their historical and architectural importance within Westhoughton's heritage.

Councillor Price said: “This report has come at a critical time and will come as a huge relief to Westhoughton residents because it clearly shows the architectural and cultural importance of both the town hall and library. People were very worried about the previous Conservative administration’s plans to alter the windows - it really was a case of corporate cultural vandalism which almost went under the radar until we told the public what they wanted to do. I pressed the council on this matter and I’m pleased that we’ve now resolved that this won’t happen.”