New home for Rochdale Register Office as town hall shuts for restoration

Rochdale Register Office is moving to Number One Riverside due to restoration work at Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Register Office is set to move to a new home at Number One Riverside in the town centre, opening next year, as Rochdale Town Hall prepares to close for long-awaited major restoration.

The office will be based in specifically designed new accommodation on the ground floor of the council building by the River Roch and will include a large ceremony room which will hold marriage and civil partnership ceremonies from January 2021. All other Register Office services will also be available including registering births, deaths and other civil ceremonies.

Work to transform a large vacant area at the front of Number One Riverside into the new Rochdale Register Office is already under way and expected to take 12 weeks.

The new ceremony room, named the Red Rose Suite, will be decorated with contemporary lighting features and furnishings and will be able to accommodate up to 70 guests. The suite will be fully licensed for marriages and civil ceremonies.

From mid-January, prospective brides and grooms will be able to take a look around the new venue which will also include access to a roof top terrace with views across the Pennines – perfect for photographs and celebratory drinks with friends and family.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The upcoming restoration of the town hall presents the opportunity to upgrade our Register Office and move to another superb setting, with what promises to be a really elegant and stylish ceremony space in a riverside location. Being able to offer the option of the outdoor roof terrace is really exciting and means we can create a truly unique day for our couples and their guests which they will remember for years to come.”