1 week Ago By Anttoni James Numminen and Local Democracy Reporting Service
Politics Whitby Old Town Hall: Council set to plug £126,000 gap as project tenders exceeded budget By Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporting Service Comment Published 18th Nov 2024, 12:00 GMT Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now A budget shortfall of more than £100,000 for Whitby’s Old Town Hall project is set to be plugged by North Yorkshire Council. Sign up to our daily The Scarborough News Today newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to The Scarborough News, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting.
.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Notice and Terms of Service apply.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee is set to approve a further £126,00 of funding for the project after submitted tenders exceeded the current budget. The scheme, which was allocated £1m from the government’s Towns Fund , aims to renovate and secure the building’s structural integrity to bring it back into public use, including as an art gallery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last summer, the council was warned the scheme could cost an additional £500,000, meaning it might be delivered in stages.
Whitby Old Town Hall - artist's impression. In September, North Yorkshire Council asked companies that tendered bids to resubmit to “hopefully bring the preferred bidder within the budget available”. However, even after the tender addendum was issued a budget shortfall of £126,000 still existed, according to an update.
A report prepared for a meeting of the council’s executive committee on Tuesday, November 19, states: “The further procurement has caused delays, and some spend will defer to 2025/26. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad “It is recommended that the additional budget of £126,000 is approved from the council Strategic Capacity Reserve to allow a contract award with the preferred bidder to redevelop the Grade-II* Listed building and marketplace and prevent any further delay.” The authority is exploring the possibility of using funding from within the approved Towns Fund programme.
In addition to the restoration work, the first floor and attic rooms would be developed into an art gallery and studio for resident artists. The market square outside the Old Town Hall, which is still regularly used as an outdoor market, is also set to receive upgrades in the form of level paving to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A frame structure could also be erected in the square to provide additional hooks, lighting and electricity for traders after the council expressed concerns about protecting the historic fabric of the market.
The scheme was originated by the now-defunct Scarborough Borough Council which appointed London-based architects Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) to develop the proposals for the Grade-II* listed 18th Century building. At Tuesday’s meeting, NYC’s executive is also set to approve the allocation of £23,000 from the Harrogate Council investment Reserve to address overspends on the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment scheme, while £182,000 has been proposed to fund the Claro Road Depot Welfare Facilities refurbishment scheme. Funding of £1m from the local government reorganisation (LGR) reserve has also been requested to support the council’s Windows 11 rollout “due to both the age of existing devices and incompatibility issues”.
Continue Reading Related topics: Whitby Scarborough Borough Council Towns Fund Harrogate Council Comment Comment Guidelines National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.
.
