Building firm starts £7.1m contract to refurbish historic town hall

Building firm Beard has begun work on a multimillion-pound refurbishment of an historic town hall.

As part of the £7.15m contract the firm will renovate the grade II  Trowbridge Town Hall, into a music hall for live concerts.

Work includes the demolition of existing offices and workshop spaces, as well as the removal of the suspended ceiling to expose the hall’s vaulted ceiling.

The remaining floors of the building will be rebuilt to create recording studios, offices, performance spaces and breakout rooms which will be open to the public and used by local community groups.

Repairs and restoration work will also take place including the exterior stonework, internal stone archways and exposed timber trusses.

There will be improved access to the building in the form of an exterior ramp for disabled users and an internal lift to the new music hall.

The 18-month project starts this month and is due to be completed in the summer of 2025.

Jamie Harwood, director at Beard, said: “We are proud to be supporting the Trowbridge community once again and playing our part in safeguarding the future of the historic town hall. We will call upon our expertise in the heritage sector and with complex listed buildings to ensure the town hall will continue to support the community for many more generations to come.

Phil Alford, cabinet member for strategic assets at Wiltshire Council, added: “We are delighted to be working with a renowned local company such as Beard Construction. Their extensive knowledge of working sensitively on historic buildings will ensure the Town Hall remains a landmark community asset for future generations to treasure.”