Consultation begins on future uses of Victoria Hall

Consultation on proposals to change an historic document that governs how Glossop's Victoria Hall is managed and used starts this week.

The Hall was donated to the town to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee by local businessmen Edward Partington and Herbert Rhodes and has been at the heart of the town's social and cultural life for almost 140 years.

It is now held by High Peak Borough Council as a charitable trust governed by a Trust Deed, dating back to 1887, which doesn't fully support contemporary uses of the building.

The proposals to amend the objects in the Deed are aimed at safeguarding the future of the Hall and supporting the Friends of Victoria Hall who, since Derbyshire County Council made the decision to remove the library from the building in 2018, have worked with the Borough Council to turn the ground floor into a thriving arts and community centre.

The Friends have plans to take on a long lease for the building from the Council which would require them to gain charitable status. Amending the Deed to remove the now redundant objects, including the requirement for the building to house a public library, will bring the document up-to-date and in line with Charity Commission guidance.

The proposed new wording has been drawn up by the Council, the Charity Commission, the Friends, and Glossop Heritage Trust. You can read more about the proposals on the Council's website.

Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure, said: "Victoria Hall has been at the heart of our community for well over a century and we, and the Friends of the Hall, are working closely together to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

"To do that, we do need to change this historic Trust Deed so that it reflects the current and potential activities and events that the Council, the Friends, and the community want to see happening now and in the years ahead.

"We're already investing in the Hall's future by improving the facilities - work is set to start soon to make the Hall accessible to everyone and double capacity from 60 to 120 people. These physical works, supported by the change to Deed, will secure a fit-for-purpose future for this much-loved and important building."

The consultation runs until Monday 16 February and you can respond by email to consultation@highpeak.gov.uk

Published on 21 January 2026