York Guildhall: Further delays to restoration work

The complex of buildings was the council's base until 2013

The £20m restoration of York's Guildhall will not be completed until March, according to council documents.

The work on the buildings, parts of which date from the 15th Century, began in autumn 2019 and was originally due to be finished in 2021.

Project delays are due to a shortage of materials, high river levels and the discovery of historic human remains, the City of York Council report stated.

The authority was based there until 2013 when it moved to new offices.

"The complexity of the project and the challenges co-ordinating the different elements; new build, conservation work, and renewal of services on the tight site, compounded by some further Covid/supply chain disruption has seen the completion date slip further into early March 2022," a report to councillors said.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, costs have also risen, though the council has not given a figure and said a full report outlining the financial impact was being drawn up.

The University of York has agreed a 15-year lease for the buildings and wants to create a city centre hub for entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and events run by York Science Park.

It would also include a cafe, riverside restaurant, offices and conference space.

The buildings, many of which are listed, have only received minor repairs since extensive rebuilding work following damage by bombing raids in 1942.