Town hall restoration work is set to start again
Transformative work on a Victorian gem at the heart of Paisley is finally set to restart.
Redevelopment of Paisley Town Hall has been on hold since March when the coronavirus pandemic halted construction work across Scotland.
But with lockdown restrictions now lifted, workers can safely go back on site with the upgrading project set to resume next week after months of inactivity.
Construction work is also due to resume soon on the site of the new Learning and Cultural Hub on Paisley High Street, which will become the town’s new home of library services, while improvements to Paisley Museum are set to begin at the start of 2021.
Councillor Lisa- Marie Hughes, chair of Renfrewshire Leisure which operates the town hall, believes the three projects represent a vital return to business in a bid to boost the local economy.
She said: “We are pleased work is able to resume on Paisley Town Hall, which is another positive sign as the area’s economy starts to re-emerge from lockdown.
“Although the council faces a very challenging financial outlook, the town hall, museum and learning and cultural hub projects are all well under way – with years of work having already taken place on each – and we intend to see those projects through.”
“In the town hall’s case, the work being planned includes investment in 21st- century facilities which will help drive new footfall to the area in the years ahead, as well as essential replacement of outdated infrastructure without which the building would not have a long-term future.
“The completed buildings will be crucial to Renfrewshire’s long-term economic prospects. Our vision for Paisley town centre remains one in which we promote its unique cultural and heritage offer to bring people here.
“And while coronavirus has disrupted that work we hope our continued investment in the town hall and other venues will help the area’s economic recovery from lockdown and give confidence to our local businesses.”
The contract for the advance construction works on the town has been awarded to Morrison Construction and is expected to run until December.
The main construction works are expected to start next year. While the exact impact of lockdown on the original timescale remains unclear, the town hall project is expected to be complete before the end of 2022.
Improvements include an expanded capacity in the main hall to allow larger events to be hosted, upgrading outdated electrical and mechanical systems and preserving architectural features within the A-listed building.