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Projects around Rochdale Town Hall approved

Wednesday, 8 April 2026 17:23

By George Lythgoe

Credit: David Murphy / Roch Valley Radio

Two more restoration projects sandwiching the iconic Rochdale Town Hall have been approved.

The surrounding area of the town hall has undergone major change in the last few years. Now the final stages of the revamp of both the Touchstones gallery and Broadfield Slopes have been approved by Rochdale’s local authority. 

Work on the Touchstones gallery started in 2024, with ambitions to transform it into a creative and cultural hub. The Grade-II listed building will get new flexible performance and studio spaces, meeting rooms, education facilities and improved galleries.

Touchstones was originally Rochdale Library in a previous life, before it became the town’s museum and art gallery. The latest approved planning application is for minor internal works to the upstairs galleries and the entrance lobby. 

Additionally, the Broadfield Park Slopes steps upgrade will be extended to the old vicarage for St Chad’s Church – now called Partnership House. The slopes were added to Broadfield Park in the 1890, which is a Grade-II registered park and garden. 

The slopes play an important role as the backdrop to Rochdale Town Hall and have recently undergone a significant makeover as part of the wider town hall and Town Hall Square restoration projects.

Permission has now been granted for the construction of new steps all the way to the gated opening into the Grade-II listed Partnership House. 

These final touches mark another step closer to the complete regeneration of the land surrounding Rochdale Town Hall, which started with the redesign of the Town Hall Square.

The major step was taken in March 2024 when the Grade-I listed town hall reopened to the public after three years of closure. The full completion of the restoration work carried on up until recently.

Once the Touchstones and Broadfield Slopes schemes are completed, it is expected the area will play a major role in hosting cultural events for years to come.

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