It knocks the town's other landmarks into a cocked-hat. The Courier's quest for the Seven Wonders of Calderdale proved that.

And it is the one place outsiders immediately associate with the town.

Yet for so many years it has been allowed to languish underfunded, underused and unloved.

Now it seems this jewel in Halifax's crown, built in 1779, will get the attention it deserves.

The council is to appoint a team of experts to breathe new life into tired stonework, with funding potential from Yorkshire Forward and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It wants to project the Piece Hall's culture and heritage and explore its potential for commercial use. The possibilities are, as they say, endless.

This is all part of a grander plan, the brainchild of think-tank Halifax Renaissance, to redevelop the railway station, nearby buildings and land and link them with the Piece Hall, which would become a gateway into the town.

First impressions are important.

And at the moment it is hard to imagine how outsiders feel when they arrive by rail in what is one of the most run-down areas of the town.
So it is vitally important these plans are given priority and that Calderdale Council keeps the momentum going.

The Courier and its readers desperately want to see these improvements take place and the Piece Hall buzzing with people.
Halifax will be a better place for it.