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“The loss of that building would be catastrophic”
People said they would hate the idea an historic building that has been around for 137 years could soon close as part of £25m cuts to their area.
The closure of Birkenhead Town Hall is one of the many options presented as part of millions of pounds of savings put forward in Wirral Council’s budget for day to day services from April. According to documents prepared for a Policy and Resources committee on February 19, closure would only save £100,000 to help close a £34m budget gap.
The future of the building has been in doubt for a while after Wirral Council reviewed both of its town halls including considering the option of selling both Birkenhead and Wallasey. In November, the local authority started the process of moving services out of the building into Wallasey Town Hall.
However the building’s historic and listed status still means millions of pounds need to be spent on the building to maintain it. Concerns have also been raised closing the building could cost the council more in the long run as turning heating off could fuel damp and mould problems though assurances were given during the February 19 the building would be regularly inspected following closure.
According to a report presented to councillors in November, the town hall is expected to need over £9.5m of work to be done on the building over 15 years even if it stays closed though this could be higher as it doesn’t include costs for preparing the building for other uses in the future. £12m in repair costs may also be needed for Wallasey Town Hall over the same period.
In and around Hamilton Square, there was a feeling of disappointment with people describing the plan as sad, short-sighted, and terrible amid a sense more and more things were moving outside of the Woodside area. One business said it was concerned that closure could see a drop in footfall because people would no longer be visiting the town hall.
Alison Rubin said she would hate the building being closed, adding: “The town hall is a piece of our history and a piece of Hamilton Square. Architecturally it’s gorgeous and there’s nothing better than walking outside and seeing couples getting married and seeing that love.”
She said: “If Birkenhead wants to regenerate, why are you going to take away our beautiful town hall? Why are you doing away with it?
“If it’s money, dig deep and find some money. They can find that somewhere. If you want to make the Wirral a destination, we have Liverpool right there. We are one stop from James Street.”
Merie Jenkins, who lives nearby, said it was a big attraction in the area and worried if it closed “they will leave it to go derelict like every other building.” She told the ECHO: “I just think it’s a shame it’s closing. The one in Wallasey should be closing because this one is popular. In the summer it’s lovely. It’s nice to see and nice to look at. In the summer you get everyone sitting on the grass and they are closing that lovely building.”
Similarly Hazel Shimmin said: “It’s the main part of the square so if it gets shut, it will just die around here,” adding: “We are just getting less and less things in Birkenhead. It would be a backwards step for this area. I certainly have a lot of pride in it. It’s been part of Birkenhead for such a long time.”
However Philip Barton, a heritage campaigner in the Hamilton Square Conservation Area, believes there’s an opportunity the building could be transferred into community hands, similar to what has happened with some libraries, given the building’s popularity as a wedding venue and help secure the building for the future. However he said the council would need to engage with community groups to make it happen.
He said: “My main concern is will the council be able to afford to maintain the building? It has a legal duty to maintain the building,” adding: “It’s just going to cost the council a few million pounds just to keep it in a proper state. If you are spending that amount of money on a building you are getting no return for, that is dead money.”
Mr Barton told the ECHO: “The loss of that building would be catastrophic for Birkonians. It’s a symbol of Birkenhead’s coming of age,” adding: “It’s still something that connects us with our history, our past generations, parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. It’s an important part of our identity.”
Wirral Council was approached for comment about the cost of managing the building while closed and what interest it had had from other organisations to take over the town hall.
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