THREATENED Haslingden Public Hall has been thrown a lifeline that could see it stay in existence.

Rossendale Council has put the proposed closure of the hall on hold to give people who use the facility enough time to put together a rescue package.

But the council has said it will review its decision after six months.

The council originally earmarked the hall for closure after it was ordered to make £250,000 worth of savings from its budget by the Audit Commission two years ago.

It announced it was to sell the building on the open market earlier this year until overwhelming support from user groups was expressed to council bosses.

The groups involved are now planning to set up a management trust. But they will have to meet strict deadlines to demonstrate how they will make the historic building into a self-financing, multi-cultural community centre.

Local youth worker Anne Bullock is leading the fight to save the public hall and wants the hundreds of people who signed the petition to save the hall to spring into action.

A feasibility study is being carried out and funding will be sought for building work to pay for wheelchair access and essential works to bring the building up to modern standards.

Irene Kay, project manager at the Mary Hindle Resource Centre in Haslingden, said the organisation was supporting the public hall campaign.

She added: "The council has given us a reprieve and during that time we need to show that we can manage it successfully and make the changes such as creating new disabled access that we need to.

"Our role is to support the groups and help them raise funds to take the group forward."