A budget shortfall of more than £100,000 for Whitby’s Old Town Hall project is set to be plugged by North Yorkshire Council.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee is set to approve a further £126,00 of funding for the Whitby Old Town Hall project after submitted tenders exceeded the current budget.

The scheme, which was allocated £1m from the government’s Towns Fund, aims to renovate and secure the building’s structural integrity to bring it back into public use, including as an art gallery.

Last summer, the council was warned the scheme could cost an additional £500,000, meaning it might be delivered in stages.

placeholder image — Whitby's Old Town Hall.

In September, North Yorkshire Council asked companies that tendered bids to resubmit to “hopefully bring the preferred bidder within the budget available”.

However, even after the tender addendum was issued a budget shortfall of £126,000 still existed, according to an update.

A report prepared for a meeting of the council’s executive committee on Tuesday, November 19, states: “The further procurement has caused delays, and some spend will defer to 2025/26.

“It is recommended that the additional budget of £126,000 is approved from the council Strategic Capacity Reserve to allow a contract award with the preferred bidder to redevelop the Grade-II* Listed building and marketplace and prevent any further delay.”

An artist's impression of how Whitby Old Town Hall could look

The authority is exploring the possibility of using funding from within the approved Towns Fund programme.

In addition to the restoration work, the first floor and attic rooms would be developed into an art gallery and studio for resident artists.

The market square outside the Old Town Hall, which is still regularly used as an outdoor market, is also set to receive upgrades in the form of level paving to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

A frame structure could also be erected in the square to provide additional hooks, lighting and electricity for traders after the council expressed concerns about protecting the historic fabric of the market.

The scheme was originated by the now-defunct Scarborough Borough Council which appointed London-based architects Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) to develop the proposals for the Grade-II* listed 18th Century building.

At Tuesday’s meeting, NYC’s executive is also set to approve the allocation of £23,000 from the Harrogate Council investment Reserve to address overspends on the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment scheme, while £182,000 has been proposed to fund the Claro Road Depot Welfare Facilities refurbishment scheme.

Funding of £1m from the local government reorganisation (LGR) reserve has also been requested to support the council’s Windows 11 rollout “due to both the age of existing devices and incompatibility issues”.