Volunteers needed to take on Stourbridge Town Hall

Dudley Council are looking for someone to take over the historic building, based at the Crown Lane town hall, and make it available for use to the wider community.

Principal officer at Dudley Council Martin Shaw said: "The council wishes to see the site used for the benefit of local residents and must be developed and managed in partnership with the local community.

"The primary use of the site must be non-commercial or with profits re-invested back into the local community, resulting in a successful, vibrant and inclusive community managed asset.

"Interested parties will be expected to submit a strong business case that is financially sustainable and is able to demonstrate the wider social, economic and environmental benefits required to approve a community asset transfer."

Back in 2017 the council did a similar thing with Brierley Hill Civic Hall, passing it onto volunteers to run - saving the authority up to £100,000 a year.

Dudley CVS (Council for Volunteering Services) ended up taking on the hall and still run it today.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, who represents the Wollaston and Stourbridge Town ward, said it was important for the hall to remain part of the community.

He said: "If we look at Brierley Hill Civic Hall, which is run by Dudley CVS, that's run extremely well. The uptake has increased and they have a good number of acts there and various organisations that use it.

"If that's replicated at Stourbridge then that's got to be a welcome decision."

He added: "It's important to make sure that existing groups are engaged as much as possible so we don't alienate them. It's important we have that consultation process to make sure everyone is fully involved.

"But the most important thing is to make sure the hall remains a key asset for the people of Stourbridge. We have to make sure it remains at the heart of the Stourbridge community.

"That has to be first and foremost at the minds of people who are taking it on."

Stourbridge Town Hall is a listed building opened in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee.