RESIDENTS have slammed plans to turn historic Formby Hall into an 'extra care' facility for elderly people.

Atherton Residents Association want the hall to remain a community facility and are hoping they can persuade its new owners to ditch their proposals for a nursing home.

The hall, a popular community venue which hosts a number of events including weddings, acting sessions, music nights and beer festivals, was formerly owned by Wigan Council which sold the building to Rose Leisure. It has now been sold to Formby Hall Ltd — a company with the same address as Hilldale Housing Association — for an undisclosed amount.

As part of the sale agreement, the building remains a community facility until March next year, but could then be redeveloped.

Stuart Gerrard said the group is confident they can make the new buyers “see sense” over the proposals.

The association's Mr Gerrard said: “We are not against redevelopment for the elderly or disabled, that has to be made clear. But we shouldn't lose a valuable asset especially when there are a lot of other sites within the town that would be in better locations for such a housing development closer to shops and public transport links.

“It is a valuable building and brings people to the town and generates streams of income. The beer bash is attended from people from all over and they go to other pubs in the town. The groups and classes that are held there are a hub for people to meet.

“The theatre that uses it put on some wonderful shows and are well attended, along with the indoor Christmas markets and not to mention weddings etc.

“If it was left to the community with a community run group, it would go from strength to strength.

“I am still confident even up to the change of use and planning applications we can get them to see sense.”

Steve Sargent, from Hilldale Housing, said there are no immediate plans to change the use of the building.

He said: “We are looking at the possibility of an ‘extra care’ facility for older people not people with learning disabilities.

“There are no immediate plans to do anything and there certainly won’t be a pop up building of any description and the building isn’t due to be flattened within a month.

“Rose Leisure have a licence to operate from the building until March, 2016. If they are not interested in this, then Formby Hall Investments would be interested in speaking to any other organisation willing or able to manage the facility as an interim measure so that events don’t have to be cancelled and so that regular users of the facility will have time to find an alternative venue.

“We are still in discussions over the design of the site, it will have some communal facilities, but we don’t have any detail yet as we don’t have the plans yet.”