LIVE bands will be returning to the boarded-up Queens Hall in Widnes following news that a community music group will be reinstalled there.
Music lovers and scores of promising bands in Widnes were outraged when Halton Borough Council closed the Queens Hall, which was once made famous by The Beatles.
Loose Music Collective, a not-for-profit group, originally claimed Halton Borough Council had ignored its proposals to re-furbish Queens Hall studio into a venue for young musicians in favour of a proposal by leisure developer Marmalade Ltd.
Loose members have always maintained that the Queens Hall used to be its home before it was closed.
The group claims that it was told that Widnes musicians could use The Brindley in Runcorn as an alternative venue - but they wanted to remain in their own town.
Following a campaign by Jaki Florek and Loose Music Collective to open the Queens Hall Studio, it seems the hard work has finally paid off.
Cllr Tony McDermott, leader of the council, said: 'For some time, Loose has wanted to use the Queens Hall studio as a live music venue. We are now offering them this opportunity and we very much hope they will be successful and achieve something that will meet the needs of the local music community.'
The council is still in talks about the future of the main Queens Hall building and this has meant that the future of the studio has not yet been resolved.
Loose has previously proposed to the council to develop the studio as a venue for live performances by local and touring bands, with rehearsal and recording facilities, meeting space and music projects for young people.
As a result of this, the council is offering Loose the chance to bring the studio back into use as an independent venue.
The offer is for a six-months exclusivity period to allow the collective to establish whether it can secure the necessary funding to achieve its aim and to meet all the statutory requirements.
