Earlestown town hall has been closed since 2008 and the building has since fell into a sate of disrepair. Despite this, the striking building has a rich history- having once hosted The Beatles, when they were an up-and-coming band in 1962.
The grade two listed building was closed by by a former St Helens Borough council administration to meet budget savings. The council announced in 2019 that they had committed to a five-stage restoration programme to bring Earlestown Town Hall back into use, with work beginning next month.
The town hall was originally opened in 1892 and served as the headquarters of the Newton-le-Willows Urban District Council, until the boundary change in 1974 introduced the St Helens Metropolitan District Council. It was subsequently used as work space for the delivery of local services by the district council until its complete closure in 2008.
The Beatles' performance at the town hall in 1962 would be the band's only concert in Newton-le-Willows. The show was promoted by the T&T Vicars Sports and Social Club (Football Section), and was billed as "The Big Beat Show No 2."
Steve Gorman, who played at the venue in its heyday, told the ECHO: "My dad Bill Gorman and his orchestra played there many times and once in early 63 with The Beatles,Then I played there with a pit orchestra on drums for many pantomimes when Harry Kitson ran Newton amateur dramatics, many happy memories and fantastic building. I'm sure it could be restored and put to good use for the people of Newton-le-Willows."
Councillor Richard McCauley, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, said: “Earlestown Town Hall is rightly seen as a focal point and symbol of Earlestown’s proud heritage and identity. That’s why this council has committed to restore this iconic building to help the town return to its former glory.
“We know from consultation feedback that local residents value the importance of retaining Earlestown’s heritage – the town hall being a key feature of this and bringing it back into use is a commitment in our Borough Strategy and the Earlestown Town Centre Masterplan Development Framework.“Residents want to see positive changes made to our borough, particularly in our town centres, which we're delivering through a number of regeneration projects, including this one, as we look forward to an exciting future.”
Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, Deputy Leader of St Helens Borough Council and a local ward councillor for Newton-le-Willows, added: “Bringing Earlestown Town Hall back to life has been an ambition for some time, so to get to this stage, with all the obstacles thrown at us during the past couple of years with covid, is a proud moment and I’m looking forward to seeing the end result.
“Heritage gives us a sense of place and belonging – that’s why it’s vitally important landmarks like Earlestown Town Hall are protected and preserved at all costs – and that’s what we as a council are committed to doing.
“With fresh, modern redevelopment plans for Earlestown Town Centre to come – it’s historic buildings like the town hall that residents will always hold dear, and it will play a vital role in an exciting future for Earlestown.”
External work to restore Earlestown Town Hall will begin in April 2022 with an expected completion date of late autumn 2022.
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