Rochdale injects more cash into Heywood Civic Centre arts scheme 

The council has ploughed an additional £2.25m into the project, which will see the planned extension triple in size. 

Rochdale Council submitted plans late last year for the redevelopment of Heywood Civic Centre into an arts and performance venue. 

Designed by K2, the scheme originally proposed the creation of a 540 sq ft extension. However, thanks to the extra funding, this has now increased to 1,600 sq ft. 

The larger extension into Peine Square will see the creation of a more accessible entrance foyer, which will contain a café bar that doubles up as a box office, with increased capacity for café seating and a new kitchen, according to the council. 

The increased funding will also enable the creation of a new main bar at ground level and two additional changing rooms for performers. 

Heywood Civic Centre is currently closed while preparation work takes place ahead of the proposed redevelopment, which is expected to start in April. The venue is expected to reopen to the public in 2025.

The plans are part of an £8.5 million investment into arts and culture in the borough, thanks to funding from Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding. In addition to the work at Heywood Civic Centre, the grant is also supporting the redevelopment of Touchstones Rochdale, which will reopen to the public in 2025.

Cllr Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The additional funding will enable us to do much more than we originally envisaged with this much-loved venue. 

“It’s one of a number of improvements we told residents we would deliver as part of the Heywood masterplan, and I’m excited to see we’re already delivering on these commitments.”

The redevelopment of the Heywood Civic Centre is a key part of the Heywood masterplan, which outlines major improvements which will be delivered in the area. These include the creation of new housing, including 72 new properties at the former Marina Ropeworks site, and changes to the roads in the area to improve journeys.  

Elsewhere in Heywood, work to restore the 91-year-old Queen’s Park Bridge is already under way.