Town Hall Refurbishment and Repairs

The heart of Chester's civic and community life

There are over seven hundred listed buildings in the City and prominent among these is the imposing Town Hall. It was opened in 1869 and like any old building, needs constant maintenance and repair if it is to remain one of the finest examples of historic town halls in the country. With this in mind, the Executive Members of the Council agreed to commence with a substantial scheme of improvement.

What does the repair and refurbishment involve?

Exterior Works

The repair works are as follows:

• Repairs to the roof - all sections apart from the Assembly Room and Tower
• Replacement of rainwater goods
• Repairs to the balustrade and some external stonework
• Electrical update
• Window repairs
• Repairs to the sub station roof - located on the landing to the main entrance steps

Internal Works

• Repairs to some internal stonework including waiting hall and foyer area floors
• Redecoration and refurbishment of the Assembly Room and Council Chamber and redecoration of additional areas within the building

When will the work take place?

The works are expected to take from May/June 2008 until spring 2009 and will be carried out in 3 phases.

Phase 1 & 2

The first phase comprises of re-roofing the Magistrates Court Room together with minor masonry and window repairs. Phase 2 follows on immediately and comprises re-roofing the remainder of the building with the exception of the Assembly Room and Tower, which have both previously undergone repair work. Both phases involve the erection of substantial scaffolding to the front and side elevations of the building and will take up to nine months to complete.

Phase 3

The internal redecoration and refurbishment programme will start as soon as all the external works have been completed. This will include:

The Council Chamber

This impressive oak panelled room will be redecorated to reflect its prominence as a uniquely prestigious facility in the Town Hall. Soft furnishings will also be purchased to compliment the new decoration.

The Assembly Room

This grand room will also undergo a high quality redecoration scheme. New curtaining will be provided and the stage area will be upgraded with the installation of automatic curtain railing and new lighting.

What will the impact on the building and its users be?

Due to the extent of the building works the Town Hall will not be available for commercial hire. To some extent the internal usage of the building will also be affected. As a consequence, the Leaders of the Council will be relocated to the Forum Offices and the Lord Mayor will take up residence in Abbey Square to allow him to continue to perform his civic duties. As the Tourist Information Centre and the Police Station are not directly affected by the works, both services will remain open as normal. Public notice boards will be sited at the entrances to the Tourist Information Centre and Police Station detailing opening hours and any further relevant information.

Bright new future for the Town Hall

When the Town Hall reopens, it will once again fulfil its role as the heart of civic and community life. Residents and visitors will also have the opportunity to hire these unique facilities. The refurbished Council Chamber will continue to provide one of the most popular Civil marriage rooms in Cheshire and the Assembly Room will be further enhanced as a prestigious performance, conference, banqueting and event space.