Extra funding for town hall redevelopment

Craven District Council has approved proposals to allocate an extra £100,000 of contingency funding towards the redevelopment of Skipton Town Hall, in North Yorkshire.

The Town Hall is being transformed into a cultural hub for the district, with a fully upgraded Craven Museum and Exhibition Gallery, a restored Concert Hall, dedicated education space and improved facilities.

The impact of Covid-19 and some key unforeseen issues with the listed building have resulted in additional costs to the project.

Councillor Simon Myers, Craven District Council’s lead member for Enterprising Craven, said: “The Town Hall Cultural Hub will form a crucial part of our wellbeing and economic recovery following Covid-19.

“When it is up and running, this will be of benefit to the High Street, Skipton itself and Craven as a whole.

“It is unfortunate that the costs have increased, but we believe providing this new facility is important for our communities, in terms of the local economy and also to improve wellbeing.”

The council approved a supplementary capital estimate of £100,000 to increase the contingency required to complete the project.

The council will seek to reclaim any additional costs specifically related to Covid-19 from Central Government schemes.