£74,800 Grant to Rescue Haworth Village Hall from 'Significant Disrepair'
A community hall in the historic West Yorkshire village of Haworth has been awarded £74,800 in public funding to tackle facilities described as being in “significant disrepair.” The grant, approved under the Local Regeneration Fund, will go toward refurbishing the hall’s toilets — which local officials have flagged as unsafe and unfit for modern use.
The village, world-famous as the home of the Brontë sisters, draws thousands of visitors each year. Yet its main community hall — a former school building more than a century old — has struggled to keep pace with growing demand. A Bradford Council spokesperson said the works were “vital to ensure the building meets safety standards and provides accessible amenities to meet the needs of the growing community.”
Ben Ogden, chair of the board of trustees that runs the hall, called the funding “a huge step forward and a real vote of confidence.” He added: “These works are vital in helping us create a safe, welcoming and accessible space that can continue serving the village for generations to come.”
The grant forms part of a £1.1 million allocation for broader infrastructure improvements at the hall, which has served as a community hub for decades. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the refurbishment is one of several projects set to benefit from the government’s £33 million Towns Fund Cash — a programme aimed at revitalising local facilities across the region.
Councillor Andrew Judson, Bradford’s lead member for economy, regeneration and planning, said he was “pleased to have made such progress on this project, so that these vital works can now be undertaken.”
The funding arrives as Haworth continues to lean into its literary heritage. The village has become a tourism hotspot in recent years, with visitors flocking to sites linked to the Brontë family. Local leaders see the hall’s upgrade as a way to ensure the community infrastructure keeps pace with both resident needs and visitor expectations.
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Local Democracy Reporting Service
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