YP Letters: Let's back the Piece Hall vision of civic leaders

Halifax and its newly-renovated Piece Hall.

From: Amjad Bashir, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

CONGRATULATIONS to all who were concerned with the imaginative and stylish restoration of Halifax’s Piece  Hall and its reopening this month.

It took courage and vision for the district’s civic leaders to back such a far-sighted and comprehensive solution to the site’s well-documented problems.

They deserve credit for committing £10m of council resources, especially in tough times, and we must also acknowledge the contribution of the Heritage Lottery Fund and private and corporate contributors.

The result can be truly transformational, not only for this beautiful and historic building but also for the town itself if the Piece Hall  becomes, as planned, the hub  of a vibrant cultural quarter. Now the town and the region’s people must back their vision by  getting down there on a  regular basis, patronising its shops and cafes, by spreading the word and ensuring that  its economic heartbeat lives  up to the architectural  grandeur.