Beloved Hednesford ballroom to reopen at new home

Developers St Modwen are transferring the new home of the Aquarius Ballroom in Hednesford to Cannock Chase Council giving them a 250-year lease.

The exchange comes four months after the centre was originally due to open as part of the £50 million revamp of the town centre but negotiations were held up over a legal wrangle.

Elated new operator Mike Allsopp now hopes to reopen the building on June 15 with a grand black tie ballroom event.

Mr Allsopp said: "It's been a long time coming but I'm delighted," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting in over the weekend and getting workmen started.

"There's a lot to do but I'm hoping to get it done in time for next weekend. If I can't, we will move the grand opening to June 22. Either way, it will be open within a couple of weeks."

He said the ballroom floor would have to be relaid, replacing carpet tiles with a wooden surface. The bar also needs to be fitted out, sound and lighting equipment installed and CCTV cameras erected.

The centre was due to have opened in February. Its Pisces Suite was due to be used as a polling station in May's local elections but the legal teams were still locked in discussions.

Council leader George Adamson welcomed news of the transfer. "I'm glad that complications over the lease have been ironed out and that the public will at last be able to use what is a first-class facility," he said.

Mr Allsopp, who won the tender for the venue at the end of last year, is expected to sign his contract next week.

In the meantime he has been given a letter of authorisation allowing him access to the building over the weekend so that he can start work on the fixtures and fittings.

Scores of celebrations, meetings and classes which had been booked in at the new centre have had to be cancelled or transferred to another venue.

The original Aquarius Ballroom closed its doors in May 2011 after 60 years and was demolished as part of the Victoria Shopping Park redevelopment.