Birmingham’s Council House set for £21m makeover
BIRMINGHAM’S Victorian Council House could be set for a £24m makeover under new plans being considered by the city council.
Birmingham City Council said there was a need to ensure the Grade II listed building and its 1911 extension remained fit for purpose.
It has authorised a £500,000 feasibility study to assess the various options for the work, which could see the local authority vacate the building to enable the work to be completed in a single phase, which would help to keep overall costs down.
It has estimated that work on the Council House itself will cost £8.1m, with the extension costing £11.4m and the remainder in the form of fees of £1.6m.
Various options have been considered – even the sale of the properties – but these have all been rejected in favour of the refurbishment.
The next stage of the work will be to commission specialist construction advisers to carry out a detailed proposal of how the phases of work should be carried out. Following this, the council will seek approval for the work and then prepare tender documents for the project.
With the new Paradise development set to open in 2019, there will be a need to ensure the adjoining civic buildings, which include the Council House, Museum and Art Gallery and Town Hall retain their character.
A report to the council’s cabinet said: “(There is a) requirement to invest in the long term future of the Council House complex to ensure that it will continue to function at the heart of civil governance for the city. The proposed restoration project is likely to cost in the region of £21 -24m.”
The full cost will be dependent on the phasing of the project. The cost is likely to be reduced if one or both of the buildings in the complex is vacated during the works and if the works are carried out in a single phase.
The council believes the cost of the feasibility study could be met from savings in the maintenance and energy costs of the building.
It is also considering possible commercial uses for under-utilised space with the extension.
The Council House, which is a Grade II listed building, was constructed in 1879 with the extension following in 1911. The building is used for civic purposes with some ancilliary offices. The extension contains offices for council staff; the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery stretches across both buildings.
The Council House is at the core of the civic and democratic functions of the city, the extension less so, which may further the case for the commercial use of other parts of the building.
Previous studies have suggested that the work could take around three years to complete.
The Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) has commissioned its own Masterplan for a proposed refurbishment of BMAG. However, the council said this would have to be coordinated with the work to the main Council House building.
