Rochdale Town Hall Building Restoration News
30 June 2026
Location: The Esplanade, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, north west England, UK
Heritage At Its Heart: FWP Group Delivers On Acclaimed Town Hall Restoration
The acclaimed £20million restoration of a Grade-1 listed town hall – a project of major international significance – was delivered on time and to budget thanks to a team with a growing reputation for its expertise on sensitive heritage projects.
photos courtesy of FWP
The work to regenerate Rochdale Town Hall, one of the UK’s most significant 19th-century buildings, continues to gather prestigious awards and accolades. The latest being four major honours from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The restoration won RIBA’s North West Award, along with its North West Project Architect of the Year, North West Client of the Year and the North West Conservation honours.
It has also been named Best Heritage Project in the UK by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), beating national landmarks such as Big Ben and the V&A.
FWP, whose work covers all aspects of construction, was drafted into the restoration project in 2019, acting as quantity surveyor and cost manager throughout the complex four-year delivery programme.
The practice has built a strong reputation for its expertise on sensitive restoration and regeneration projects and it used all that knowledge to help deliver the Rochdale Town Hall revival, playing a major role in its project management.
The work has restored many of the Gothic building’s historic features and created new community spaces in rooms which were previously out of bounds to the public.
David Robinson, managing director of FWP, said: “The Rochdale Town Hall project was driven by a clear vision and a desire not only to protect the heritage of a much-loved building but to open it up to the community for generations to come.
“The result of the work is truly spectacular and the awards that are now being bestowed are an endorsement of the ambition shown throughout the restoration programme. We are proud of our role in delivering something so special that is also acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration in the town.”
Keith Morrison, senior chartered quantity surveyor at FWP, who worked on the scheme, added: “Strong cost management is critical in heritage projects such as this, not least where funding has been secured through grants, in this instance from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“Throughout what was a complex and demanding programme of work, FWP fostered close working relationships with all members of the delivery team, with clear communication and full reporting at the heart of the process and crucial to its success.
“Our experience in the role of quantity surveyor on sensitive heritage restoration work also proved invaluable to the delivery team at Rochdale. The result was a project that met its deadlines and its budget.”
The number of honours received by the project continues to grow. Rochdale Town Hall received the Michael Middleton Special Award for Excellence in Conservation and a Civic Trust Conservation Award.
It was voted Social Project of the Year in the Association for Project Management (APM) Awards and was commended in the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2025.
And international recognition has come in the form of a shortlisting in the 2026 Europa Nostra Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in the protection, conservation, and promotion of Europe’s cultural heritage.
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FWP
Founded in its home city of Preston in 1960, FWP’s multi-disciplinary work covers all aspects of construction, from cost management to architecture and masterplanning.
Much of its management work has involved conservation, with heritage and listed building renovation plans that require a variety of grant funding applications and close cost management.
These include the award-winning transformation of the medieval Fratry at Carlisle Cathedral – another complex project on a sensitive site. The development, which included essential conservation work, has brought the building back to life, making it a cultural hub in the city centre. FWP acted as principal designer, project manager and quantity surveyor.
Its portfolio also includes the restoration of Rivington Terraced Gardens on the edge of the West Pennine Moors and work on the Walton Hall Estate, near Warrington, which has included returning its spectacular glasshouses to their former glory.
FWP designed and led on the challenging restoration of the Victorian market canopies in the heart of Preston. The much-loved listed structures underwent extensive refurbishment as part of the regeneration work taking place in the historic Harris Quarter.
And in the role of architects, FWP is currently delivering the £9m-plus transformation of the Grade II-listed Amounderness House in the Harris Quarter into a modern flexible workspace. Originally built in 1857, the former police station and court is being sensitively refurbished with sustainability, design heritage, and public use in mind.
FWP has offices in Preston, Manchester, Birmingham and London. For further information on FWP and its impressive portfolio, visit: www.fwpgroup.co.uk
Rochdale Town Hall building restoration images / information from FWP 300626
Location: The Esplanade, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, OL16 1AB , Lancashire, Northwest England, UK.
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