A campaign has been launched to save Castle Armoury in Bury and keep the historic building open for future generations.
Councillors of all parties are asking the Ministry of Defence to provide the money to save the town centre base, which was closed by its trustees last month due to safety concerns.
The move was agreed unanimously last night (Wed 20 July) by the full council after an emergency motion was put down by Councillor Richard Gold, the council’s armed forces lead.
The council heard that it would cost at least £2 million to carry out urgent repairs to the building and several million more to fully modernise it.
Castle Armoury, also known as the Drill Hall, is an important part of Bury’s history. It is home to W Company 5th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, 207 Field Hospital Royal Army Medical Corp and The Lancashire Royal Regiment of Fusiliers volunteer Band.
It is also the base for Bury’s Army cadets, RAF cadets, a community karate group, and the Armed Forces veterans breakfast club.
The building is owned by the Bury Castle Armoury Trust and is leased to NW RFCA through a formal agreement. Under the terms of the lease NW RFCA and in turn the Ministry of Defence assume full responsibility for repairs and maintenance.
Cllr Gold said: “The council has unanimously agreed to do everything it can to save the Drill Hall. We urge the Ministry of Defence to provide the necessary funds to repair it and restore it to full use. We’re also looking at what external funding is available and working with all parties to save this important asset for the local community.”
