Yarm's 18th Century town hall refurbishment approved

Yarm Town Hall dates from 1710

The restoration of a market town's 18th Century town hall has been approved.

The Grade-II listed building in Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees, will have its original brick arches opened up as part of an external refurbishment.

A new heritage centre will occupy the ground floor, with a meeting space and heritage learning area upstairs.

Town Council acting chair John Coulson said the town hall refurbishment would "allow more people than ever to appreciate its importance" to the area.

"The refurbishment of Yarm Town Hall is a project that has been considered for a number of years so I am really pleased that these plans have been given the go-ahead," he said.

Yarm Town Hall had two arches bricked up in 1888 and the others in the 1930s

The work is part of Stockton Borough Council's regeneration plans for its six town centres, funded with £20m from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

There have also been contributions from the authority's Town Centres Investment Programme and the town council.

Borough Council cabinet member for regeneration and housing Nigel Cooke said it would "help to secure its long-term future by attracting new visitors" to the area.

"It's great news that the plans to bring this iconic building into a use that will benefit residents, visitors and businesses in the area have been approved," he said.

Work is due to begin in late summer, after the building's public toilet is relocated to a new extension at the town's library.