Date for talks on town hall

Campaigners looking to transform a run down historic market hall in Ellesmere into a thriving community hub will hold talks this month to get the scheme back on track.

Members of the Market Hall regeneration steering committee will meet for the first time this year on January 24 to prepare for a fresh fundraising drive.

Plans to refurbish and update Ellesmere's market hall were shattered in October last year when a bid for £924,000 of Lottery cash was rejected.

The project, which would cost about £1.3 million in total, would have seen the hall turned into a community library, learning and IT centre, while retaining the weekly market.

There were also plans for a youth centre, meeting room and art space to be housed in the building.

Geoff Ardill, chairman of the steering group behind the scheme, said members had not given up hope of raising the cash and would be meeting later this month to discuss plans to get the campaign up and running again.

The committee is also asking residents of the town to once again get behind the campaign to breathe new life into the building and help to create facilities for the community.

Anyone wanting more information or who is interested in getting involved in the new fundraising campaign can find more details at www.ellesmere.info