Bishop's Castle Town Hall to reopen after £676,000 refurb
Work has finally finished on Bishop's Castle Town Hall following a £676,000 renovation project which lasted more than a year after being hit by repeated delays.
Building contractors have handed the keys back to council chiefs and it is now scheduled to reopen to the public as a new community hub on June 2.
The 250-year-old Grade II-listed building was closed last April for revamp work to begin and it was initially expected to have been completed at the turn of the year.
A delay put the proposed opening date back to Easter this year, and then a further hitch meant it would not reopen until next month.
The town hall restoration group has now announced on its Facebook page that the handover of the town hall from the contractor to Bishop's Castle Town Council took place on Thursday.
It added: "We will be spending next week getting the furniture and equipment in place and the town council will be moving back in from Enterprise House with their office opening to the public from June 2.
"We hope to open the Visitor Information service in the next few weeks and markets and sales will also start in June."
Bishop's Castle's Mayor, Councillor Karen Bavistock, said she was "so pleased" at the completion of the work and added: "I am looking forward to ribbon cutting and a weekend of events.
"I've even volunteered to knit some flowers for the willow sculpture which will be outside for the weekend."
The town hall, while structurally sound, was considered underused and in need of considerable refurbishment and repair. It was not fully accessible and lacked modern heating systems and services.
Bishop's Castle Town Council carried out a number of repairs and maintenance schemes but the major renovation programme was devised to protect the building's long term future and ensure it retained its place at the heart of the community.
The bulk of the cash for the project came from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The renovation has seen a Visitor Information Point installed in the town hall to act as a central hub for visitors and locals alike where they can obtain information about the town and area and be encouraged to stay longer, visit local attractions and spend money in local shops.
Town hall chiefs are considering securing a licence for the building so that weddings and other civil ceremonies and naming services can be conducted there.
It is also believed that local crafts and artwork will be displayed and local businesses will be able to showcase their products.
