Craven District Council : Extra funding for Skipton Town Hall agreed by Craven District Council

The Town Hall is being transformed into a cultural hub for the district, with a fully upgraded Craven Museum and Exhibition Gallery, a restored Concert Hall, dedicated education space and improved facilities.

The impact of Covid-19 and some key unforeseen issues with the listed building have resulted in additional costs to the project.

Councillor Simon Myers, Craven District Council’s Lead Member for Enterprising Craven, said: “The Town Hall Cultural Hub will form a crucial part of our wellbeing and economic recovery following Covid-19.

“When it is up and running, this will be of benefit to the High Street, Skipton itself and Craven as a whole.

“It is unfortunate that the costs have increased, but we believe providing this new facility is important for our communities, in terms of the local economy and also to improve wellbeing.”

The Council approved a supplementary capital estimate of £100,000 to increase the contingency required to complete the project.

The Council will seek to reclaim any additional costs specifically related to Covid-19 from Central Government schemes.

Whilst the Town Hall has been closed for redevelopment, the Cultural Services Team have been conducting outreach, events and opportunities to engage with museum collections across the District.

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, in the year 2019/20 the team ran over 30 events and performances in partnership with village halls throughout Craven, and engaged around 1,200 schoolchildren across the district in education outreach projects.

Since lockdown, the team has offered a range of online activities and opportunities to make and participate via their website and social media.