Town Hall lands £13.5m lottery boost

Birmingham Town Hall has been closed since 1996

Birmingham's bid to become European City of Culture in 2008 has received a £13.5m lottery boost.

The city's Town Hall, which was closed in 1996 for safety reasons, has been handed the largest ever Heritage Lottery Fund grant in the West Midlands.

The cash announcement confirms a £9.8m payout originally earmarked for the renovation scheme, and an additional £3.7m grant.

The total cost of the repair work is £32m, which will include the replacement of two 1920s' balconies with a single tier.

It is great news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded such a significant grant

Museums chief Graham Allen

"This generous award from the Heritage Lottery Fund, combined with the city council's additional funding and continued commitment, means that the project can move ahead confidently," said Councillor Ian Ward, cabinet member for leisure, culture and sport.

"I believe that the re-opening of the Town Hall is a major building block in Birmingham's bid for the Capital of Culture 2008 and will play a major role in Birmingham's cultural scene."

The Grade I listed building, which was built in 1834, attracted visitors like Queen Victoria, Gladstone and Lloyd George.

The building is best known for its links with musical history - with concerts from famous names such Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan and The Beatles.

Major steps

The city council has secured £14.3m of the remaining £18.5m needed to finance the total scheme - and believes that at least £1m could be raised by allowing advertising on the scaffolding around the Town Hall.

"It is great news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded such a significant grant," said Birmingham's head of museums and heritage projects Graham Allen.

"The project has taken some major steps forward during the last six months and, with the funding in place, we are now close to seeing the realisation of the re-opening of the Town Hall."