Manchester town hall restoration goes £29m over budget

The building's Grade One listed status means every element of the restoration has to be respectful of the building's original designs

A town hall restoration project is going to take longer and cost more than expected, a council had said.

The Manchester Town Hall restoration project has already gone over budget by £29m, according to the city council.

Originally set to be completed in July 2024, the renovation could now take until summer 2026, it added.

Manchester city councillor Luthfur Rahman said it was "a very complex heritage project" which they have to "get right".

The building's Grade I listed status means the restoration had to be respectful of the building's original designs.

Originally set to complete in July 2024, the renovation could now take until summer 2026

Mr Rahman said he could not speculate on what the final budget for the project would be.

"We've had the pandemic, and hyperinflation in the construction industry has amounted to additional pressures on the budget," he said.

"It would not be right for me to speculate on the final budget, but whatever it is will be checked and double checked to make sure that we are getting best value for money.

"When you're talking about big construction projects like this, these kind of additional expenses and budget requirements do happen.

"It's a magnificent building, it's the civic heart of Manchester. We've got to get this right."

Originally expected to cost £325m, the scheme restore Manchester Town Hall to its Victorian splendour, improve accessibility and replace old piping, tiles, electrics and stonework, began in 2020.

It was set to complete in July 2024, but the renovation could now take until summer 2026 due to issues that emerged during the restoration, the council said.

The project's progress had also been hindered by the discovery of unexpected features.

A sideways chimney was found hidden beneath the floorboards in the great hall, which contractors said was a huge obstacle when it came to installing underfloor heating.

A sideways chimney was found hidden beneath the floorboards in the great hall

"We don't know for certain because there are no drawings of the way services were run round the building in the Victorian era," Mike Hempstock from specialist roofing company J. Hempstock & Co said.

"We have surmised that the idea was to avoid breaking into this great events space with chimneys, so they took it through the floor and diverted it around the hall, which is a really creative solution.

"When you peel back the layers on a building like this you're going to find surprises.

"I think the fact that this is the largest heritage project in living memory in the UK, probably explains the extent of surprises we've had.

"It's like when you do your own Victorian house, you pull off the wallpaper and half the house falls down."