Denton Festival Hall to temporary close ready for transformation works

Denton Festival Hall will close for a prolonged period from this Friday (29 August) as part of plans to transform the space into a mixture of residential and community use.

Tameside Council has been awarded £16.8m from Round 3 of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for regeneration in Denton - with £2m earmarked for delivering a sustainable future for Denton Festival Hall. The investment will see the building transformed into a mixture of residential and community uses, including the retention of the Festival Hall,  to best meet the town’s needs.

The building’s temporary closure will allow works to begin to prepare the property for marketing to a development partner to help deliver the vision for the site’s future.

All current users of the building – including community and voluntary groups - have been made aware of the closure and alternative arrangements have been put in place. Denton North East Luncheon Club will still be holding their September luncheon in building on September 25.

The on-site public toilets will not be accessible after 29 August, although alternative facilities are available at Denton Town Hall (see www.tameside.gov.uk/publicconveniences for opening times).

Tameside Council Deputy Leader (Growth, Housing and Homelessness) Cllr Andrew McLaren said: “We respect the heritage of Denton Festival Hall and its value as a community venue. However, the hall has not been in full time use for a number of years and - in its current format and condition – is an unsustainable drain on public funds. The Levelling Up money presents an exciting opportunity for us to work with a private developer to redevelop the building to secure its future to meet both residential and community needs.

“In the meantime, we’re working closely with current users of the building to ensure they can continue their valued work in the community during the temporary closure.”