Refurbishment of Trowbridge Town Hall set in motion

Plans have been submitted for the £8.5m refurbishment of a Grade II listed town hall in Wiltshire.

The scheme, submitted by Wiltshire Council, could see Trowbridge Town Hall transformed into a major creative and community hub.

Performance and activity spaces for community activities have also been added to the plans.

The cash come from a £16m investment into the town by the government scheme Future High Streets Fund.

Alan Wright, the director of Trowbridge Town Hall Trust, said: "Our challenge has been to provide the community with a combination of spaces that ensures provision for as wide a variety of activities as possible within a building that retains and enhances its original ambiance, while also enabling us to ensure an economically sustainable long-term future."

If the application is successful, parts of the building will have to be demolished and rebuilt, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Some of the roof cover will be stripped, improved and put back together, while the dormers will be removed completely.

The 1970s staircase inside the building will also be removed.

On the second floor, the steps and organ pit will be removed and a flat-raised floor put in its place to create a technicians gallery.

There would be 18 new employees in the town hall.

If the application is approved, work could start at the end of 2023 and be finished around April 2025.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]