BRIERLEY Hill Civic Hall is set to be run by a volunteering charity in a bid to save the building from possible closure.

Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) has agreed to take over running the iconic building for an 18 month trial period.

Although Dudley Council will continue to own the building, it is believed the voluntary group could breathe new life back into the civic hall although the council’s leader, Cllr Pete Lowe, conceded the change was also about saving cash.

Cllr Pete Lowe made no secret of the fact Dudley needs to save at least £27million across all areas of the authority over the next three years.

He said: "We're facing significant cuts from central government and we have to look at initiatives to keep places like Brierley Hill Civic Hall open, otherwise we risk losing them.

"Other councils across the country are closing facilities, but we are looking at other alternatives in an attempt to keep them open - but we have to act as quickly as possible before they become at risk.

"I'm not saying that Dudley CVS can run Brierley Hill Civic Hall better than Dudley Council, but they could certainly run it in a different way.

"It's fair to say that the civic hall isn't fully utilised at the moment and there's the possibility that Dudley CVS could attract additional functions and make the building more vibrant.

"The fact we've moved quickly is to try and protect as many jobs as possible but it's too early to say at the moment if they'll be any losses.

"If Dudley CVS do a good job, I see no reason why they couldn't take on extra staff instead.

"I'm confident that in this particular instance, the move could work extremely well.

"We've always pledged to become a real community council and this could become a great example of both working together. I see it as a 'win-win' situation."

Andy Gray, who is chief executive of Dudley CVS, added: "This is a real opportunity for the community to get involved with an iconic building and host their shows, meetings and other events here. We have a wealth of talent and thriving community groups in Brierley Hill who could make full use of a fantastic building."

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Conservatives, welcomed the move and said: "If other organisations or private individuals can convince us they can run it cheaper and more economically, they could probably make a better job of it than the council. But the council cannot afford to drag its feet over these issues. They have to act fast, otherwise people lose interest."

Dudley’s UKIP leader Paul Brothwood added: "I'm happy for the civic hall to be handed over providing it doesn't lead to a loss of further income just to get it off the books.

"I also hope a proper cost analysis has been done and if there are any redundancies involved, we will be fighting them all the way."