THE owners of community hub Formby Hall have applied to the council for permission to demolish the building – for a second time.

Formby Hall Limited, which last month had an application refused by Wigan Council on the grounds of 'insufficient details,' wants to demolish the Alder Street venue 'as soon as possible'.

The developer, which is working alongside Hilldale Housing, wants to knock down the building to create a nursing home and flats for independent supported living. Bosses were told by the council to 'appeal the decision or make a further application with additional details.'

A petition to save the hall was submitted to the council following the last application for demolition and Atherton Residents Association have continuously fought the plans.

The group successfully campaigned to make the building an asset of community value – which makes it harder to change the use and community groups can bid to run it if the owner wants to dispose of it.

They also submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to Wigan Council

Stuart Gerrard, Chairman of Atherton Residents Association, said: “We need to ramp up the pressure again now to a level higher than we did previously. We will be doing what we did last time with objections going in perhaps another petition.

“We are not surprise, we were expecting it but I think we can overturn it and put pressure on the council to keep to their core strategy values.

“The hall should never have been sold in the first place with covenant on the hall. The council have the power to respond to this and stop it in its tracks.

“We obviously need the community behind us and all elected members to come out and stand for the people who elected them against this.”

Objections to the application should be submitted within 21 days of November 16 to Wigan Council, Places Directorate, PO Box 100, Wigan, WN1 3DS.

Formby Hall Limited have been contacted for comment.