Hall’s £3m revamp to start next week

9:32am Wednesday 5th March 2008

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WORK is due to start next week on a £3m revamp of Gravesend's old town hall.

The refurbishment of the building in the High Street is due to start next Monday after 18 months of planning.

The Grade II-Listed building, owned by Kent County Council (KCC), used to house the town's police station from the 19th Century until 1940.

It was used as a town hall until 1968, when the current civic centre in Windmill Street was opened.

The building was used as a magistrates' court until 2002.

Gravesham Council leader Councillor Mike Snelling, said: "It is a very important building in Gravesend.

"The only use it gets at the moment is the museum which is opened once a month, run by volunteers."

He added: "The problem is it needs an enormous amount of money spent on it.

"It is not disabled compliant and it takes considerable effort to keep it in good condition."

The first phase of the refurbishment has been made possible after funding was finally secured from KCC, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the EU Urban Fund and the South East England Development Agency.

Each organisation is contributing about £300,000 each, to make a total of £1.3m.

The money will go towards doing up the first floor, which will have function rooms where wedding receptions, corporate meetings, cultural performances and recitals can be held.

There will also be a space for art galleries and a workshop.

A KCC spokesman said: "We are pleased work is beginning on the renovation of Gravesend's old town hall so this important heritage building can be put to good use by the community."

Funding for the second phase, which is expected to cost £1.7m, is still to be secured but it is hoped cash will be provided by the National Lottery for this.

The money should cover the cost of putting in a cafe and bar in the former police station and cell area on the ground floor.

There would also be a large kitchen which would be used to cater for the function rooms on the floor above.

Artifacts from Gravesend Museum, which has items dating as far back as Roman times, would be put in areas accessible to the public on both floors.

The whole project should be completed by April next year.

Gravesend Historical Society secretary Sandra Soder said: "We are very pleased the building is being revitalised and repairs are going forward.

"The museum is particularly important to us. Although, at the moment, it is only open for fours hours every month, more than 150 people come through the doors."

KCC is working in partnership with community development trust FIT Voices to get the building into full use again.

The charitable trust, a multi-faith organisation which aims to bring people together, will manage the building after it reopens.