Town ‘jewel’ back in the black after providing a £680m economic boost
Halifax’s Piece Hall is back in the black after turning round £700,000 losses and posting a projected £290,000 surplus.
Bosses said a huge amount of work had gone behind the scenes to recalibrate for “unprecedented” economic conditions.
The historic landmark, which was once an 18th-century trading centre, offers a mix of heritage, culture, shopping, and a major events programme with concerts, festivals, and performances.
Next year will see even more shows put on over the summer – most have already sold out – with tens of thousands of visitors spending on transport, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.
It comes as a new analysis shows The Piece Hall contributed an estimated £680 million to the economy over the last decade and is set to continue providing an annual boost of £90 million a year.
The figure reveal £22 million was spent over the decade buying in goods and services – more than half from West Yorkshire businesses. Visitor spending from 2015 to 2025 amounted to £590 million, at around £34 a visit on average.
More than half the 120 jobs on average at The Piece Hall went to Halifax residents.
Consultants Counterculture’s analysis, using standard Treasury Green Book compliant methodology, describes the venue’s economic impact as “significant and rising in real terms”.
Subject to auditors’ final sign off The Piece Hall will also report a £290,000 surplus for the year ending in September. Among the steps taken to turn around the loss, the venue is putting on more summer shows and increasing its “restoration levy” – up 25p to £1.75 on ticket prices this year – which helps pay for maintenance. West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “The Piece Hall is a jewel in West Yorkshire’s crown, and these figures demonstrate the vital role it plays in our economic and cultural life.
"Our tourism sector is booming, growing by almost eight per cent over the past year, and it’s places like The Piece Hall that have helped us to attract over 70 million visitors and £6 billion of investment in that time.”
Chair of The Piece Hall Trust Orphy Robinson said: “It’s fantastic to see clear, independent analysis of just how significant The Piece Hall’s impact has been. This shows that we are continuing to make good on our promise to be the key driver of regeneration in the area.
"As a not-for-profit organisation and community asset, The Piece Hall Trust’s purpose is to drive inward investment and economic benefit for the people of Calderdale while keeping this unique building open, with any surplus reinvested.”
It was built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell the woollen cloth "pieces" they had produced. The first recorded mention of a Piece Hall was in 1774. It opened on January 1 1779, with 315 separate rooms arranged around a central open courtyard.