Trustees welcome makeover for hall after years of delays

A series of previously planned improvements failed to materialise, but now the building, which dates back in its present guise to 1951, is to be significantly restored in an eight-week programme of works carried out by the authority on behalf of the hall’s trustees.

The roof and ceiling of the main hall will be replaced and essential masonry repairs will be carried out while the scaffolding is in place.

The building’s heating and electrics will also be replaced and a new boiler will be installed.

The project is being funded from the council’s sale of the former Beverley Picture Playhouse.

Paul Jenkinson, chairman of the Beverley Memorial Hall Trustees, said: “In recent years, various plans for redeveloping and improving the Memorial Hall have been considered. While these have not so far been realised because of financial constraints, the repair and maintenance work now agreed is an important step in securing a brighter future for the venue.

“I am pleased that we are now in a position where the council’s pledge to use the proceeds from the Picture Playhouse’s sale to benefit the Memorial Hall can be activated in this programme of works.”

The hall was developed in 1951 from a redundant chapel of rest and was dedicated to Beverlonians who fell in both world wars.

Plans to revamp the venue have been more than a decade in the making but faced numerous setbacks. The council said work would begin shortly.