'Extensive' re-roofing works planned for historic Ashton Town Hall

‘Extensive’ re-roofing works to be carried out at Ashton-under-Lyne’s Grade-Two listed historic town hall.

Tameside council is endeavouring to repair the iconic building on Market Square after winning nearly £20m in Levelling Up funding in 2021.

Previous planning documents had revealed the scale of the works needed to restore the 183-year-old building in the town centre to its former glory.

A new application for listed building consent has now been submitted by the local authority which includes ‘extensive re-roofing works’, as well as gutter replacements, localised repairs to stonework and repairs to the main part of the building.

Ashton Town Hall, which opened in 1840, has been closed, along with the Museum of the Manchester Regiment, since 2015.

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It houses the Civic Hall, which contains the former full council chamber. Currently full council meetings take place at Dukinfield Town Hall, and also Guardsman Tony Downes House in Droylsden.

Reports had previously revealed that ‘significant damage’ occurred when the physical link between the town hall and the Tameside Administrative Centre (TAC) was disconnected in order to demolish the centre and clear the site.

Ongoing issues with damp and moisture in the roof have been the main source of problems in much of the deteriorating building.

“The primary area of concern is the continual water ingress,” the latest heritage statement says.

“The moisture content of the masonry currently prohibits any localised repairs and it has been advised the installing new timbers into wet masonry will only encourage wet rot and deterioration within the replaced members.

“The principal constraint