THE New Year has marked a new chapter for a flood damaged town hall.

Burnley Council and its business partner Liberata, with local builders Boys working as the main contractors have completed a complicated programme of reinstatement and flood resilience works has now been completed following the disastrous flooding of the building on Boxing Day two years ago.

The town’s Mayor Councillor Ken Buckley cut the ribbon to declare Padiham Town Hall officially “open”, and activities began with an afternoon of dancing in the ballroom.

He said: “The building is beautiful and is back to what it once was following the refurbishment.

“For two years the social centre of the town died because of the floods and ever since the people of Padiham have been clamouring for it to comeback ever since.

“Now the town hall is back and open for business.”

British champion sequence dancers from the young generation joined locals and civic dignitaries in the newly refurbished ballroom in a celebration to mark the re-opening of Padiham Town Hall.

The “first dance” by British Championship dancers Lewis Frobisher, who studies at Thomas Whitham Sixth Form, and Burnley girl Kate Bodill, who is a student at Lancaster University.

The pair, who have trained and practised with Sanderson Dance, wowed the judged to win not one, but three British titles at the 2017 Sequence Dance Festival, held at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

Lewis, 17, who lives in Nelson, said: "It's nice to have the more community atmosphere rather than a competition.

"I have used it before for another demonstration but it's great to have it black to how it used to be."

Other events and balls are being planned over the coming months to celebrate it's return.

Padiham’s pensioners’ group, who used the venue to host weekly dance sessions for up to 50 people, have had to hold the sessions in the town’s church.

Dorothy Rothwell, who has been a member for over 20 years, said: “”It’s a lovely place and looks completely different.”

“In the last two years we have lost a few dancers who said they can’t do it in this Church because it’s too small and would come back when the town hall reopens.

“We’re hoping to see them return for this week’s session on Thursday.”