The 113-year-old Town Hall in Knottingley, which was threatened with closure about three years ago, may soon get a face-lift. A proposal to renew the stonework, window and window frames, and undertake pointing work, is to be considered at the September meeting of the volunteer body which runs it. Knottingley Town Hall Management Committee will then have completed the job of putting the premises into a sound state. 

A committee member and trustee, Mr. Roland Knapton, recalls how the hall, under Wakefield District Council, was threatened with closure, and says one of the reasons was that it was in a poor state of repair. Following a public meeting the volunteer body was elected to run the hall as a community centre and was granted a lease to do this for a year without losses. Since then it has had success after success. Raising funds by charging a small rental of £2.50 an hour to various organisations, dancing schools and bingo, and through organised dances, the committee has continued to pay its way. It has built a new fire escape, a new bar, and completely re-decorated the inside. At the moment it is building a kitchen. Also, it employs a part-time caretaker. "For general cleaning work the volunteers just rolled up their sleeves," says Mr. Knapton. "Our aim is to get the building absolutely A1 and then we can use the working capital another way - to keep down the charge for hiring it," he adds.