COUNCILLORS are the custodians of the Town’s heritage and changes must be carefully considered.

The Town Hall is the most important civic building and it is clear from the public reaction that to the people of Bolton it is iconic and a landmark beyond Bolton. The façade has been intact since it was built by men of vision and civic pride in the 1870’s.

Cutting the stone plinth to create huge doors will completely alter the character of the building. But more than that, it is unimaginable that there could be cafes with outdoor seating, open to the weather, yet without canopies. It does after all sometimes rain!

What will happen if the cafes fail? Will we have a boarded up frontage to the Town Hall? There are already too many such shops. What when lifestyles change? When cafes fall out of vogue? You cannot restore our heritage once the front has been cut from the stonework.

Then there are civic events, Remembrance Sunday, VE and VJ Days, Armed Forces Day and Flag raising, Genocide commemoration. Think about the impact on these. When I raised this with a planning consultant at the public consultation my concerns were dismissed and I was told that a planning condition could protect such events but we all know that in the real world planning conditions are all too often ignored and usually not enforced!

After the disastrous fire in 1981 the inside of the Albert Hall was drastically altered and an attempt was made to create a multi-purpose, theatre and conference venue. The building is not suitable for many such uses and is often too costly for users.

The proposed changes will do little to improve that situation and seem to take no account potential of users. We cannot afford to allow this to happen with the Albert Halls and more importantly with irreversible structural changes. It may be possible to revise internal alterations at a future date but once huge stonework is cut from the façade it is changed for ever.

Councillors have a duty to protect Bolton’s heritage. The very nature of the Town Hall imposes limitations imposed by history and recognition of these is needed.

The consultation has been a farce. The Council’s planning website show that only 57 people attended over three sessions, including 10 staff, myself and just one other councillor. How can that be considered proper consultation on such a major issue?

The record of the Council in protecting our heritage is abysmal. Council owned buildings like Little Bolton Town Hall, Kearsley Town Hall and Burnthwaite lie empty or have been demolished.

There are still too many questions which Councillor Morris and his colleagues have failed to answer.

Councillor John Walsh OBE

Astley Bridge Ward

Bolton MBC