BDP / Colliers win Rochdale Town Hall feasibility study

Colliers Destination Consulting and BDP have been appointed by Rochdale Council to provide a feasibility study to identify possible new uses for the Town Hall.

The grade 1-listed Town Hall currently houses a number of council departments and registry services and is used as a venue for events and functions. The council will vacate the building when it moves into its new offices at No.1 Riverside next year.

Alan Davies, architect director at BDP in Manchester, said: "Rochdale Town Hall is one of the finest Victorian town halls in England and is a major heritage asset for the borough. We are very pleased to be assisting Rochdale Council to maximise its potential as a cultural, heritage and community asset. We will be looking at how the building can serve some of its current uses better and how it can accommodate new uses which will ensure it has a viable and sustainable future."

Rebecca Abushena, senior analyst at the Manchester office of Colliers Destination Consulting, has started market analysis for the project whilst BDP has begun an assessment of the building and its setting, to determine what is possible architecturally and spatially.

She said: "One of the main aims of the feasibility study is to increase public access and interest in the building and to make recommendations to help the Town Hall to be financially sustainable so future generations could use and enjoy it."