Manchester Town Hall refurbishment to cost an EXTRA £95 million
The opening date has again been pushed back to 2027
Manchester Town Hall will cost £95 MILLION more to refurbish and reopen at least six months later than planned, council chiefs say.
The revamp will now cost £524.8m and is expected to finish in ‘spring 2027’, taking nearly a decade. News of another delay and requirement for more money comes 13 months after Manchester council pushed the completion date back to August 2026 and asked for an extra £76m.
Deputy council leader Garry Bridges, said the authority is ‘frustrated’ at the new delay and spiralling bill, but believes no extra cash will be needed and the spring 2027 date will be met.
He said: “Like everyone, we have been frustrated by the increased time and cost involved. But if we had not acted decisively to invest in the future of this Victorian masterpiece, many parts of which were reaching the end of their natural lifespans, we would have seen it become unusable and obsolete.
“We’re glad that we’re now on a confident path to completion in spring 2027, in time for the 150th anniversary of its original opening. The results of the project will be there for people to appreciate and enjoy for the next 100 years.”
A formal opening date still has not been named, but the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands it will be a few weeks after the building work is completed. Depending on when it finishes in spring 2027, that could be later in the season or summer.
The grade-I listed building closed in 2018, initially planned to reopen in 2024. But the project has been dogged by delays, created by the pandemic and ‘discovery’ of new problems.
Since last moving the completion date and asking for more money, more issues have been found in the neo-Gothic structure, and multiple contractors have gone bust, causing significant knock-on delays as parts of the work were not finished as scheduled.
In some cases, contracts have been awarded to firms already on-site, working on other elements of the scheme, but others have required going back to the market to bring in new firms. Project bosses have denied suggestions construction firms are taking the council for a ride, insisting every taxpayer penny spent is scrutinised by council figures.
They also do not believe an insistence to spend a portion of the budget on local companies has slimmed down the pool of available firms to the point where not enough are available to complete the work quickly.
In any event, a year-long programme of celebrations is planned for 2027, with top councillors in discussions with Manchester International Festival and Manchester Day organisers to use the newly-expanded Albert Square outside. They’re also hopeful for a Royal visit to mark the occasion.
Coun Bridges added: “Manchester people are beginning to see the benefits of the expanded Albert Square, at the heart of the city’s best ever Christmas, and there will be many more events to come in a public square to rival the best in Europe.
“When town halls like ours were built in the 19th Century, most Mancunians were excluded from them. But we want to give the building back to the people – inviting them to a new free visitor attraction and to share in a cultural programme around its reopening.”