Milestone For Todmorden Town Deal As Works Start On New Bowling Pavilion And Restoration Of Edwardian Bandstand In Centre Vale Park
Todmorden Town Deal is celebrating another milestone with building work now underway on the restoration of the Grade II Listed Bandstand and transformation of the Bowling Pavilion in Todmorden’s Centre Vale Park following months of hard work by Town Deal partner, Todmorden Town Council.
The redevelopment of the Bowling Pavilion and renovation of the Bandstand are key elements of a package of improvements to Centre Vale Park funded through Todmorden Town Deal’s £17.5M investment programme.
The Centre Vale Park project, led by delivery partner Todmorden Town Council, aims to develop opportunities for local residents and visitors to improve their health and wellbeing and benefit from higher quality sports, leisure and recreation facilities in the park.
The Grade II Listed Edwardian Bandstand in Centre Vale Park is one of only five surviving open-fronted ‘theatre’ style Bandstands in the UK, remaining a highly visible and historic local landmark in the town for over a century.
Refurbishment now underway will achieve a full restoration of the unique structure, securing its future for community use for performance, festivals and events throughout the year.
The redevelopment of the Bowling Pavilion will provide a brand new, modern, flexible and accessible base for the various community groups who are active in the park, including Todmorden Bowling Association, Todmorden in Bloom, Military Veterans, and Friends of Centre Vale Park.
The positive news follows completion of the energy transformation measures at the historic Fielden Hall which sits adjacent to the bowling greens and site of the new bowling pavilion, with this work being completed by Calder Valley Community Land Trust.
The redevelopment of the Bowling Pavilion and renovation of the Bandstand are key elements of the package of improvements to Centre Vale Park funded through Todmorden Town Deal’s £17.5M investment programme.
The Centre Vale Park project aims to develop opportunities for local residents, boost visitor attractions and numbers into the town, supporting the local economy and to help people enjoy higher quality sports, leisure and recreation facilities in the park.
Mayor of Todmorden, Cllr. Susan Press, said:
“These are really exciting times for Todmorden and it is great to see construction work finally start on both the Pavilion and Bandstand projects. In the next few months, we will see the new Bowls Pavilion take shape and the Bandstand deconstructed and rebuilt. In thanking all our partners for making this happen, I would specifically like to acknowledge grant support for the Bandstand from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players, and funds for both projects from the Town Deal.”
The improved opportunities and facilities in Centre Vale Park are conveniently located near to the Ferney Lee site where construction of Todmorden Town Deal’s new enterprise centre and affordable rented homes is also well underway, led by Calder Valley Community Land Trust.
Pam Warhurst, Chair, Todmorden Town Deal Board said:
“It’s fantastic to see works starting on these two wonderful projects which support the wider drive to develop a better Centre Vale Park for all. Improved leisure, sports and cultural facilities will provide more opportunities for showcasing local talent, elite sports and events, bringing people into the town and boosting trade to our local businesses and popular markets.
“I’m especially pleased to see the connection between an improved Centre Vale Park offer and our investment into both the new energy efficient hub for enterprise at Ferney Lee and a more sustainable, secure Fielden Hall, and I congratulate everyone involved.
“As both projects progress, we will use existing materials where possible to create two much improved facilities that will be more suited to the needs of all who use them and provide greater opportunity for the local community for generations to come.”
Lainy Hawksworth-Quill, Committee member, Todmorden Bowling Association and captain of Cheeky Blinders All Women Team, said:
“It’s truly fantastic to see plans for our state-of-the-art new bowling pavilion becoming a reality. The new building will provide a secure, affordable and sustainable home for the club’s busy match schedule, training and events, enabling more people to take part and get involved.
“We are looking forward to sharing the space with our fellow community groups using the park so we will all enjoy the benefit and move forward together.”
James Duffy, Todmorden Bandstand Group said:
“Our group has been working on this project for almost six years now so it’s fantastic that the restoration is finally going to happen.
“We can’t wait to see the bandstand back in use.”
The funding package for both the Bandstand refurbishment and new Bowling Pavilion includes Town Deal investment and for the Bandstand, a further funding award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players.
The construction works for both the Bandstand and the Bowling Pavilion are being carried out by Rosslee Construction with an anticipated completion time by the end of the year.