Bury Council’s Cabinet met this week and agreed to close the Longfield Suite forever.
The eight Labour councillors who make up Bury Council’s Cabinet have voted to close Prestwich’s community facility, but keep open the other two facilities in Bury and Ramsbottom. There is a vague promise that community facilities will be a feature of a redeveloped village centre, whenever that happens.
The Longfield Suite was opened by the former Prestwich Borough Council in 1971, and is the largest of Bury’s civic venues with a capacity of 560. The other two civic venues in Bury (Ramsbottom Civic Hall and the Elizabethan Suite at the Town Hall) will be kept open.
A public consultation found that most people wanted to keep the civic venues open, however the Council sites that lose money and essential maintenance work needs to be undertaken. The sprung dance floor at the Longfield will, apparently, be retained for future use in a building (but no ideas when or where).
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Michael Powell said: “This is really disappointing. Everyone understands that the Longfield has been closed during Covid, but now we need community spaces more than ever. There is nothing similar that people can use in Prestwich or nearby.
We all agree that the village centre needs redevelopment, but we would have kept the Longfield Suite open while we’re waiting for that to happen (and we’ve been waiting 20 years!).
Once again Labour councillors have ignored public opinion and let Prestwich down while keeping facilities open in other parts of Bury”.
Once again, Prestwich is overlooked and sacrificed in favour of Bury. No surprise really!
These Labour councillors don’t seem to provide any value for our council tax money that we pay.
I’m sure all the money they have got just from road and traffic penalties could easily pay for this, because it’s not being used to fix pot holes in the road that’s for sure!!
Closure of the Longfield is a very sad state of affairs the centre with a brilliant dance floor will be sadly missed by Prestwich residents Shame on the labour councillors ☹️
what a disgrace ,Prestwich has no civic amenities at all ,no baths ,no civic centre ,no museum ,where does all our rates go ?
I am totally disgusted by the closure of the Longfield Suite. I have lived in Prestwich for the last 46 years and found it provided for all parts of the community. It is typical though that yet again Ramsbottom will be provided for. It is not just the hall itself but for the Library that lots of people use.
In the time I have paid rates to Bury Council, they have promised to renovate the area of the Longfield but it was under private ownership. What makes me angry is you will never be able to build anywhere new as you will never have the finances to do so.