Town hall revamp costs rockets by nearly £1.5m
THE cost of refurbishing a town hall in Bridgend county has rocketed by around £1.5m in just two years. It means the cost of the contract for Maesteg Town Hall has risen by almost a quarter.
The Grade II listed building which has been described as a focal point for arts and community activity in the Llynfi Valley is now heading towards the latest stage of development after undergoing extensive refurbishments, but will need an extra £600,000 spent on it to cover additional costs. That, however, is not the first time the cost of the work has gone up.
The re-development of the 141-yearold building has been ongoing since 2020, with an initial cost of £6,199,387 given just months before the start of the Covid pandemic.
However, On October 27, 2020, Bridgend Council’s cabinet member for education and regeneration agreed to the modification of the re-development construction contract, to include further works and services such as the complete refurbishment of the clock tower.
That resulted in the contract cost rising to £7,027,011. More recently, due to delays caused by the pandemic as well as unforeseen issues such as dry rot and contaminated areas of the site being discovered, this figure has increased again to £7,708,418.
But officers and councillors at a cabinet meeting believed the decision to undertake the additional works had significantly enhanced the project as well as minimised the risk of having to return to the site to renovate at a later date.
They also noted that the cost of the project was still within the capital financial envelope of up to £8.5m granted for the Maesteg Town Hall re-development. With the council having approved the uplifted funding for the contract, the project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023, with council leader
Huw David saying it was important that they carried out these works now.
He said: “I think it would have been irresponsible of us to put it mildly, if we did not carry out that work whilst the extensive scaffolding was in place.
“The last thing any of us wanted to do is to carry out such a major refurbishment and extension, only for in just a few years time, 10 or 20 years time, to have to go back to that building and carry out very expensive repairs or maintenance. Now is the time to carry out those works.”
Contractor Knox and Wells is currently entering the final stages of the latest part of the development, finalising the installation of a clearstory roof, which will unify the existing building with the newly created extension, as well as creating a new public entrance. This section of the development will house a new foyer, public cafe, changing places facility, flexible performance space and a unique mezzanine balcony complete with a bar and studio.
Councillor Neelo Farr said: “It is fantastic to see another phase of the redevelopment works for this iconic building nearing completion. This is a huge project, and it needs to be handled with the utmost care and consideration that an historic building such as this deserves.
“Each piece of the restoration works focuses on introducing different elements which will knit together to not only restore but rejuvenate this building for the benefit of local communities and visitors for many years to come. All generations of the community are set to benefit from some fantastic facilities which will be accessible and inclusive for all when it re-opens in 2023.”