'It's a monstrosity, there's no need to keep it

People in a Salford 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. READ MORE: Salford Lads Club SAVED as £250k fundraising target smashed after M.

E.N. appeal 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. Calls to level Lancastrian Hall as part of Swinton's regeneration have been backed by Robin Garrido, leader of the council's Conservative opposition. He described the building over the road from the council's offices as a 'monstrosity' of a building and said there is 'no reason to keep it' in its current form.

"It needs to come down and the buildings that are part of it, we need to start off with a fresh piece of paper," he added. Salford resident Kenneth Msibi outside Lancastrian Hall in Swinton. Image taken by local democracy reporter Declan Carey in November 2024.

He has also said regeneration work in Swinton should include council buildings, proposing to convert empty offices into temporary accommodation for the homeless over winter and eventually knock down the newer part of the Civic Centre to build more social housing. Calls to knock down Lancastrian Hall were echoed by a number of locals who said the brutalist structure has become a stain on the town. Michael Barlow, 50, is a Salford resident who said Swinton has suffered from a lack of investment over many years.

"I think [Lancastrian Hall] should be gone...

it's an eyesore which is letting the area down," he said. "It'd be better to build houses or flats there. "There are enough shops around but we need more housing.

I've not seen any changes to it for years, it's a shame it's been left like this. The whole area needs some investment." Kenneth Msibi, 67, from Hull, has lived in Salford for two years, but agreed that something has to be done to the empty hall.

He said: "It has to go, it's been like this for ages. I've got no idea what it was used for, but it's an eyesore now. Swinton Square shopping centre in Swinton, Salford.

Image taken by local democracy reporter Declan Carey. "It's a huge space and should be used for something. It should be turned into new shops and housing.

" Others called for more changes to the retail offering in Swinton, saying more community spaces and different types of shops would bring more people to the area. Louie Conduit, 17, said: "They should do something with it, maybe make a leisure centre for children or something like that. There's not enough around here for people.

Most of the shops here were good in the 2000s, but not now. It's got to change." The town hall says it is planning to appoint a developer partner to bring to life its vision for the area, which was created with input from residents.

Salford mayor Paul Dennett has also made calls for the council to buy Swinton Square as part of the town's regeneration, to give a boost of investment to an area which has a number of empty shops. The council has embarked on a similar venture in Eccles , after it bought Eccles Shopping Centre in 2022 for £4m. But residents in Eccles have accused the council of acting too slowly and leaving their town with rows of empty shops.

Salford resident Louie Conduit (left) outside Lancastrian Hall in Swinton, Salford. Image taken by local democracy reporter Declan Carey. Sources at the town hall say they are keen to make progress in Swinton, but they warned there is still much to do before the bulldozers roll in.

A Salford council spokesperson said: "The Lancastrian Hall has been mainly vacant since 2012, with its final occupier, the library, being relocated to Swinton Gateway in 2015. The building has been closed off since then. There are no imminent plans for its reuse.

"The local community expressed a clear desire to see an improved town centre offer and overwhelming support for the demolition of the Lancastrian Hall through the Swinton Visioning activity. "The Lancastrian Hall forms part of the council’s civic estate. Given that the building occupies a prominent corner within the centre of Swinton and is in part physically connected to the shopping centre (which is privately owned), the council considers that future decisions regarding the building will be guided by a comprehensive plan for the area, guided by the vision and developed with the community.

" Swinton Square shopping centre was contacted for comment..