FARNWORTH Town Hall will get a new lease of life after months of tumultuous restoration work.

Contractors handed the building back to the council on Friday and council staff moved back in on Monday.

Bolton Council bosses first unveiled plans to refurbish the grade II listed building in Market Street in February last year.

Work on the site came to a standstill in March when building firm Blakeley Tonge and Partner went into administration.

There were further set backs when vandals smashed 16 of the back windows in April.

Yet Manchester firm City Build took over the contract and now the revamp is almost complete.

The traditional council chamber has been replaced with open plan offices to be used predominantly by the council’s children and adult services departments.

Farnworth councillors and Bolton South MP Yasmin Qureshi will also hold their monthly surgeries in the building.

Cllr Noel Spencer said: “I am really delighted to hear that the building is finished and will be getting a guided tour next week.

“The setbacks we have faced were unavoidable but now it is finished I am sure it will be a wonderful asset to the people of Farnworth.

“We have been holding our surgeries in Farnworth Library while the work was carried out and the staff there were brilliant.

“But soon we will be back in the town hall as we were before.”

The council’s One Stop Shop will stay at Farnworth Library.

Speaking on Friday, a Bolton Council spokesman said: “Farnworth Town Hall has been handed back from the contractors today and we are looking to complete the work required to enable council officers to move back into the building during week commencing June 3.“