Another £95m needed to finish Manchester Town Hall
The budget for the project, which the city council claims is the “largest and most complex heritage project undertaken in living memory anywhere in the UK”, will increase to £524.8m. Completion is now not expected until spring 2027.
Manchester City Council will meet next week to agree a £95m increase to the budget for interior works on the grade one-listed Manchester Town Hall. The increase will be funded through borrowing.
The cost increase follows a £76m rise last year. At that time it was anticipated the project would complete by summer 2026. However, this target has now been revised by many months.
The project originally had a budget of £330m but various factors, including inflation, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have all contributed to the cost of the complex heritage restoration project rising over the years.
A shortage of specialist labour capacity, the collapse of three suppliers, issues with the supply of materials, and ongoing discovery of further construction challenges have also contributed to rising costs, the city council said.
The increased budget includes a “substantial contingency” to support a spring 2027 completion, according to the city council.
“A project of this size is extraordinarily complicated and has had to navigate a stream of challenges – from a global pandemic to high inflation in the construction industry and the hidden issues within the building’s historic fabric,” said deputy council leader Cllr Garry Bridges.
“Like everyone, we have been frustrated by the increased time and cost involved. But if we had not acted decisively to invest in the future of this Victorian masterpiece, many parts of which were reaching the end of their natural lifespans, we would have seen it become unusable and obsolete.”
He added: “This project to safeguard Manchester Town Hall and create unprecedented public access is the biggest heritage project the country has seen for many years. Only the restoration of the Houses of Parliament will surpass it in scale.”
“We’re glad that we’re now on a confident path to completion in spring 2027, in time for the 150th anniversary of its original opening. The results of the project will be there for people to appreciate and enjoy for the next 100 years.”
