Villagers are to be asked to save an historic building at the heart of their community.
Marsden Mechanics Hall faces major decisions about its future – with Kirklees Council set to end its lease in the spring.
Now volunteers who run the hall’s Management Association are to look into ways of taking over the building and keeping it as a community asset.
They fear if they don’t, it could be sold off or mothballed by the council.
Council officials have told the Association they can no longer afford to run and maintain the building and the current lease ends in March.
Association officials now want residents to consider taking over the building through the process of asset transfer and are hoping for a big turnout to kick-start the process at its Annual General Meeting, which takes place in the hall at 7.30pm on December 17.
Official Barney Stevenson said: “What seems like dreadful news for the village actually hides an amazing opportunity.
“Asset transfer is becoming a familiar process in the context of community buildings and services around the country, because many local authorities are in a similar predicament to Kirklees. It entails the formation of a new charitable body, or social enterprise, to take over full possession of a building and run it on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of the neighbourhood community.
“Kirklees have said that they are prepared to allow the lease on the Mechanics to run on and will support the process of asset transfer, as long as the community are taking active steps towards taking ownership of the building.
“It’s a complex matter so we want to throw the topic out to the whole community in order to measure support for the mission and begin the process of preparing the way ahead.”
The hall – dating back 150 years – currently houses the village library and council information point, which are effectively tenants of the council.
It is also used by many local groups and organisations, including Mikron Theatre, and regularly hosts social functions.
Association chairman Tom Lonsdale, has announced his intention to stand down, not because of any loss of faith in the mission, but because he believes it needs new energy.
He said: “This building means more to me than anything else in Marsden.
“It has given me many of my happiest moments, but also consumed a vast amount of my time and energy since forming the Marsden Community Association 35 years ago, which led to saving it from demolition and securing its wonderful refurbishment.”
The Mechanics Institute movement began in Marsden in November 1841 in a cottage which was previously the Blue Lion pub
It was to provide education to local people
The institute moved in 1845 to a room above Dan Ineson’s smithy at Inghead
Land was bought at what was then known as Marsden End for 5 shillings per square yard.
Building began in 1860 and the current Mechanics Institute was officially opened on February 25, 1861.
The building costs of £2,500 were raised by public subscription.
Over the years it has been used as a school, as a council chamber and as a youth club.
The Mechanics Hall closed in 1969 and was scheduled for demolition, but an intensive campaign by local people saw the hall refurbished and reopened.
