Manchester Town Hall to be refurbished

[celeste]

Manchester City Council has agreed to consider a major refurbishment of its grade-one listed town hall.

A council report described the Victorian landmark as being in urgent need of essential repair.

The initial phase of works to modernise the building would cost £2.2 million but the overall bill could rise.

Labour councillor Jeff Smith said it was vital that "the most important building in Manchester is maintained for future generations".

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“
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These improvements will complement the transformation of Central Library, St Peter's Square and the town hall extension in preserving these historic gems while improving the services they support. ”
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Jeff Smith
 
Labour councillor, Old Moat ward
 
The report discussed by the council executive proposes electrical, mechanical, heating and structural work.

The building has not had a full upgrade since its completion in 1877.

The report said: "Continuing without addressing the backlog of issues would ultimately lead to the building becoming unusable, resulting in the extensive replacement works, redundancy and even potentially disposal."

But Mr Smith moved to allay fears that the town hall faced closure, saying their decision to act now would secure its future.

English Heritage helped with initial investigative work to ensure that the council's proposals comply with strict standards associated with upgrading listed buildings.

Councillors will also consider repairing Albert Square's cobbles and drainage system.

[celeste]

Glad I don't have to pay their council tax, and what are their plans for the eyesore called the wall which they supposedly had plans for?

[MargaretB]

Would rather they spent some money covering the cobbles that are showing through the tarmac on my road.

[jean]

Thats an awful lot of money Celeste but i think its so important to restore such wonderful buildings
with all the history.I remember as a child sitting on the steps waiting for my mum to pay the rent
if she missed the rent man I do apprieciate where you come from though.Its like your road MargaretB we
have cobbled roads here and i love them..I will just go and put my tin hat on I voted for the Victoria baths
when it was on tv as thats where i had my first swimming lesson,such a stunning building.

[MargaretB]

I remembering voting for Victoria Baths (Hathersage Road really!) when it was on that TV programme and was thrilled it won.

But Manchester Council has decided to spend all that money on the Town Hall when services in the city are going to pot.  Parks are being left to grow wild, bins are not collected weekly but they can find the money to do up an old building.  It isn't right.

[Manchester Man]

Sounds a reasonable cost to refurbish a building of that size. It would cost an awful lot more to replace it.
We all have to spend money on buildings we own, either to maintain them or improve them.
 
The Elizabeth Gaskell house has had more money than £2m spent on it recently.
 
ATB
Ray.

[Joynson]

 Sorry to be pedantic but our streets were setted not cobbled.
 Cobbles are smallish pebbles about twice or three times as big as eggs , set on end and very difficult walk on. Setts are oblong granite stones cut like loaves and set flat . Easy to walk on. Pitch or tar was heated and poured between them.Made nice bubbles on very hot days! Spoilt your new white whit week shoes. Joynson.

[Cupcake]

The Town Hall is gorgeous.  It would be absolute wickedness to let it rot.  It also generates a fair bit of money being hired out as a venue for events - I've used it myself.

[Manchester Man]

I don't know if there is any criteria for it but as many local businesses and as much local labour as possible should be used to do the work.
 
I'm sure a lot of the £2m could be kept in the area.
 
ATB
Ray.

[celeste]

I remember it as being quite grand inside, after the Manchester bomb there was an auction I went to which raised some money towards rebuilding after the devastation.

[Lexi85]

2 million is a lot but like others on here I think it will be worth it. It's a wonderful old building and it's surely better to keep it alive... it's an investment so it can be used to generate money for the city in the future. Looking forward to seeing the results!

[jean]

Hello Joynson,i didnt realise there was so many different ones where i live they are cobbled but so old
have worn quite flat...We used to make pitch bombs and put a ball of melted tar on a looly stick.
I remember my mum going mad with us and got it of with butter..

[Corrupt council]

What a worth while cause, maybe the 1.5 million for the stray dogs home raised could go towards helping rebuild the magnificent  building. After all a few wire sheds should not cost more than a few quid.


And a batch of needles to put down the strays no one wants.


Call me a realist , but If you want to see puerility amplified to levels we have in manchester just look at the Alan hemming appeal and the stray dogs fire.


Nothing surprises me about how people prioritise in manchester any more.

[Joynson]

 Gosh Jean ----you were posh, my Mum used Echo margarine!
 Eucalyptus oil( from the dreaded medicine box under the stairs)  was also good for removing tar from white socks and your white whit week walking shoes.
Imagine what streets and roads were like before any proper surface. Why did we go "backwards"? Roman roads were good and many still are used so why go back to mud tracks when the    Romans  buzzed off back to Rome?  Joynson.

[jean]

Hi Joynson there were 9 of us so it probably was marg