Designs revealed for Bourne Old Town Hall renovation project

Designs for a community arts hub have been revealed as plans to renovate a historic building take shape.

Bourne Town Hall Trust is working on a long-term project to restore the Grade II listed building in North Street into a thriving centre for events and social groups.

The trust was awarded £316,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund last year to kick-start the project and has now submitted a planning application to South Kesteven District Council before applying for more money.

The designs aim to regenerate the building by restoring some of its original Georgian features while making it more accessible.

The exterior of the Old Town Hall will remain largely the same but a new entrance will be created through the northern arch into a new reception area. The clock tower which was removed following a fire in 1932 will also be replaced.

Inside the building, The Shambles bar area will be opened up to reveal a line of original arches. It will be used as an events space with side doors into the alleyway, similar to when the building first opened.

A lift will be installed to improve access to the courtroom upstairs. The room will have retractable seating and a ramp to the stage.

Trustee Jane Gabbutt said: “It’s really exciting for us to reach this point in the project. The images really bring the project to life and fit our vision of how the building can be used and the audiences we will be able to target.

“We’re so grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the public for their support so far. We can’t wait to move to the next stage.”

If planning permission is approved, the trustees will apply for another £2.2million of lottery funding in August. They hope to hear by the end of the year whether their application is successful and will then look at additional fundraising opportunities to pay for the renovation.

A fire heritage event is taking place at the venue this weekend.

On Saturday (June 29) people can learn about the fire service which was based at the town hall more than a century ago. Bourne’s current firefighters will also be there to show off their engine. The event runs from 10am until 3pm.

Anyone interested in the history of the building and updates on the regeneration project can follow a blog at www.bournetownhall.wixsite.com/blog

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