A massive petition against the ‘disposal’ of the historic Altrincham Town Hall - a wedding venue for thousands of couples down the years - looks doomed to fail. The petition of nearly 2,000 names was presented to Trafford council on Wednesday evening (January 25). The council wants to sell a 25-year lease on the building to a childcare business in order to cut the £60,000 annual running costs.
Representatives of the Altrincham and Bowdon Civic Society were at the latest full council meeting. Treasurer Trevor Stone delivered an impassioned plea for the 120-year-old building to be spared for community use. The group, which has applied to run the building as a community interest company (CIC), has been ‘unfairly treated’, said Mr Stone.
Describing the process as ‘shambolic', he told councillors: “We want to work with you, not against you, to find a mutually agreeable solution. We know you have budgeting issues and we do understand the attraction to you of a commercial company’s bid.
