Civic Hall overhaul due to finish in 2022

The Civic Halls have been closed since 2015 so the Grade II listed venue can be restored

A much-delayed £38m revamp of a Grade II Listed music venue will be finished in 2022, a council has said.

Wolverhampton's Civic Halls closed in December 2015 but after initial renovation works began, more serious issues came to light.

Completion dates have since slipped from autumn 2020, due to the pandemic, but the city council said it expected to finish "later this year".

The halls will then be handed over to promoter AEG Presents.

Major steel supports have been added to the building, along with new toilets, ceilings and balconies, the local authority said.

Serious issues came to light during the revamp which needed solving, the city council said

Works including flooring, door installations and wall finishes have begun along with efforts to improve the streets outside.

The council's deputy leader Stephen Simkins said work to finish the revamp was "progressing at pace".

"We look forward to handing over the reins to AEG Presents in the coming months," he said.

The promoter, which owns venues including Eventim Apollo London, has signed a 25-year lease to run the halls.

Once it takes over, it will carry out work internally to the bars, kitchen and sound and lights system before it can reopen to the public, the council said.

Steel supports, new balconies and ceilings have been installed during the work

The venue, made up of the Wulfrun Hall and the main Civic Hall, was completed in 1938.

At first, the council only planned for initial renovation works but surveys found several structural, mechanical, electrical and engineering issues.

Specialists have also had to carry out extensive removals of asbestos from the fabric of the buildings.

The height above the stage to the rear of the Civic Hall has been raised during the work so larger shows can be hosted.