Council set to plug £126k gap in renovation plan

Councillors are expected to approve plans to plug a £126,000 shortfall in the budget to renovate Whitby's Old Town Hall.

The project, announced in 2023, will see the building in Market Place repaired and brought back into public use as an art gallery.

Renovation work will be paid for in part by a £1m grant from the government's Towns Fund, with North Yorkshire Council also contributing to the scheme.

The authority's executive committee is set to approve the additional funding on Tuesday, after tenders for the project exceeded the current budget.

In addition to the restoration work, the attic rooms and first floor would become an art gallery and studio for resident artists, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

The market square outside the Old Town Hall is also set to receive level paving to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

The scheme was originated by Scarborough Borough Council, which was abolished in April, and Whitby Town Council, which appointed London-based architects Burrell Foley Fischer to develop the proposals for the Grade II listed 18th Century building.

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 states: "The further procurement has caused delays, and some spend will defer to 2025/26.

"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."

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