PEOPLE will have an opportunity to enjoy surroundings fit for royalty when one of Bolton Town Hall's most prestigious rooms is opened up to the general public.

Residents will be able to hire The Banqueting Hall once used as a reception room by the Queen.

The move - condemned by some councillors - will see the hall opened up for occasions other than civic events for the first time.

The room was once the council chamber of Greater Bolton following the creation of the town hall in 1873 and houses a range of antique furniture.

It was used by Queen Elizabeth to hold a reception in 1988 when she visited the borough to open the Market Hall and the Water Place.

But less regal inhabitants of Bolton wanting to hire out the room will first have to win the approval of the leaders of the three groups on Bolton Council.

And Cllr Martyn Cox, executive member for culture, warned that weddings and children's birthday parties would definitely not be allowed.

He said: "I think we should open the town hall up as much as possible, there is nothing more depressing than seeing all these wonderful rooms empty.

"The Conservatives want to block this because they do not want to let in what they see as a lot of 'riff-raff'."

The move which was included in the council's budget, passed by councillors on Wednesday, is expected to raise at least £2,000 over the next 12 months.

But Conservative councillor John Walsh said the income did not justify the risk to the room.

He said: "There are other ways of making this money rather than running the risk of damaging one of the prime rooms in the town hall.

"It is a slippery slope as to what it will be used for because how can we refuse one group when we have allowed another?

"Historically, it has not been used for anything other than civic events and there are other rooms in the town hall that traditionally aren't as important."

But front-bench Labour councillor John Byrne said he welcomed the hall being turned into a "people's palace.

He added: "I would like to see more people being encouraged to use the town hall, it belongs to the borough and people should be encouraged to use it."