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Town hall's £12m revamp to start next month

LOWESTOFT TOWN COUNCIL The exterior of the red brick town hall with its many windows bordered up and a flagpole outside the main entrance, with a large tree with green foliage in foregroundLOWESTOFT TOWN COUNCIL
The hub will become home to the town council's and registrar's offices and will also include a cafe, gallery and a community event space

A £12m project to reopen and revitalise a town hall is due to start in February.

The restoration and extension of the Grade II listed building in Lowestoft, Suffolk, received a £1.2m funding boost this month from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Lowestoft Town Hall on the High Street, which was completed in 1860, has been empty since 2015 after Waveney District Council moved out, prior to its merger with Suffolk Coastal District Council to form East Suffolk Council.

It has been owned by Lowestoft Town Council since 2017.

GUY CAMPBELL/BBC A large, colourful stained glass window in the former council chamber showing a depiction of St George GUY CAMPBELL/BBC
A stained glass window in the former council chamber which is where town council meetings are due to be held in the future

The town council said the additional funding followed an initial grant of £3.2m from the Heritage Fund in September 2023, bringing the total funding to £4.4m.

Funding of £1.86m previously secured from the Towns Fund, together with £900,000 pledged from East Suffolk Council and a £5m Public Works Loan takes the overall scheme to "around the £12million mark", according to the council.

The work would see the town hall renovated with gallery space for exhibitions and events, a wedding and reception venue with catering facilities, co-working space for sole traders and small businesses, a cafe and additional community event space.

The council said improving accessibility to the building was included within the plans, with a more open reception area and better toilet facilities.

The town hall would also become the home for Lowestoft Town Council, hosting council meetings and staff offices together with Suffolk Registrars.

Nasima Begum, mayor of Lowestoft, said: "On behalf of Lowestoft Town Council, I wish to thank everyone who has contributed to this project by responding to consultations, engaging with our heritage events and through bringing their expertise and passion."

Robyn Llewellyn, of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "We're excited to be supporting Lowestoft Town Council with a significant grant to transform the Town Hall."

Work on the building is set to begin in February with the town hall due to reopen in the summer of 2026.

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