A CIVIC hall razed to the ground by a fire last year looks set to be rebuilt on the same site.

An electrical fault at Whitworth Civic Hall caused the huge blaze, gutting the two-storey building, in December.

It robbed the area of a vital community facility.

But councillors have agreed to look at rebuilding the hall on the site, which fronts on to Market Street, using the insurance money.

Their decision goes against an officer reccomendation to build a new community facility on land owned by Whitworth High School.

They had said they would be able to use insurance money to pay for the new hall, while at the same time cashing in by selling the old site to developers.

That would raise around £1million for Rossendale Council.

Under the Conservative group proposals approved last night, the new building could also offer a new home for Whitworth Town Council,.

That is, if the council agrees and the proposals are given the nod at the next meeting of Rossendale Council.

Following last night's executive meeting negotiations will begin with the people of the town to decide how the new facility will be run.

One option is inviting community groups to run the facility.

The Community Leisure Association of Whitworth, which already successfully runs the town's swimming baths, are the favourites for the job.

Whitworth Recreational Leisure Trust Ltd, run by local residents, took over the running of the 1968-built hall in 2000.

Rossendale Borough Council had chosen it as one of the five leisure facilities to axe as part of cost-cutting measures.

The council owned the building but it has been run and maintained by the trust.

The future of the civic hall site will be discussed again at the next meeting of the executive on November 17.