Plea to bulldoze 'monstrosity' landmark

Councillor and residents call for 'eyesore' building to go in regeneration plan

- DECLAN CAREY

RESIDENTS of a town say a landmark building should be knocked down as part of regeneration work.

Lancastrian Hall and Central Library, built in 1969, sits opposite Salford council's offices at the Civic Centre in Swinton, next to Swinton Square shopping centre. The building has been shut for nearly a decade, since the library service relocated to Swinton Gateway in 2015. Locals say the derelict building is an 'eyesore' and a symbol of Swinton's decline, calling for new investment in the town.

Plans to change Swinton have been in the pipeline for years, with the council having already spoken to residents about what they want to see - a project known as the 'Swinton Vision, reported to have cost £350,000.

The town hall says there is 'overwhelming support' to demolish Lancastrian Hall and that Swinton is looking 'increasingly dated and tired, with too many empty buildings and shops!

But the plans have yet to result in improvements in the area.