Town Hall stonework repairs to cost more than £300,000

THE cost of repairing damaged stonework at Todmorden Town Hall is set to cost more than £300,000, a report has revealed.

Since December 2008 scaffolding has been erected at various points around the Grade One listed building after a large section of stone fell to the pavement below.

The report has found there is significant deterioration of the stonework and the Halifax Road elevation is where most of the repairs are required.

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However, before any remedial work can start English Heritage will need to be consulted.

A letter from Todmorden Town Council has been sent to Calderdale Council asking for urgent repairs to be carried out and for the scaffolding to be removed.

John Rodgers, a Todmorden councillor, said: "Scaffolding was not put up for work to be done, it was put up to prevent stones from falling off."

And Coun Steven Sutcliffe added: "This scaffolding has been there way too long. The town hall is supposed to be the pride of the town but it is shrouded in scaffolding."

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Coun Julie Stansfield said: "It's falling into disrepair and winter is approaching. People in this town are absolutely sick to death of looking at it and we need to act on it.

"As a town council we should be pressing Calderdale Council to address the situation."

An inspection costing 5,000 would need to be carried out before any work began followed by the provision of extra scaffolding to allow safe access at a cost of 14,000.

The repair work itself would cost an estimated 250,000. In addition, the pointing between the stonework at cornice level on the other three elevations is in a poor condition.

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This is allowing rainwater to soak into the stonework, leading to stone degradation. To remedy this would cost 19,500 to provide scaffolding to the three elevations and 26,400 for repointing and removal of loose stonework.