Date for Lanark Memorial Hall opening is given

However, whether or not local groups will be able to afford to use it once it does is still in doubt.

The most recent meeting of the South Lanarkshire Council-organised Lanark Town Group was told that the planned date for the re-opening of the hall, closed for £5 million worth of refurbishment four years ago, will be in late April, 2013.

However, there have been no final decisions on what charges will be made for the use of the new state-of-the-art building and many small local groups with limited funds fear that they will simply be priced out of using the burgh’s main public meeting place in future.

The charges, when they are set, will be decided by South Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd., the organisation which was formed by the council to run its leisure facilities.

For more on this story pick up a copy of the Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.