Plans for the refurbishment of Yarm Town Hall are given the go-ahead

A planning application for the refurbishment of Yarm's historic Town Hall has been approved in the next step towards improving Yarm town centre and its visitor experiences.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council worked in partnership with Yarm Town Council to develop proposals for the refurbishment of the Grade II listed landmark.

Plans were approved following their submission for consent earlier in the year.

Under the approved plans, the Town Hall will have a full external restoration to include the opening-up and reinstatement of its original brick arches with new glazing.

Internal improvements also include the conversion of the building to provide an open ground floor space for a Heritage Centre. The first floor of the Town Hall will remain as a meeting space and a new Heritage learning area will also be developed.

The work will be funded as part of the Council's successful application for £20million from the Government's Levelling Up Fund, alongside contributions from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Town Centres Investment Programme and Yarm Town Council.

A separate bid is also being prepared to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in order to develop a full heritage-based activity programme at the Heritage Centre.

The refurbishment is being undertaken as part of the Council's regeneration plans across its six town centres.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "It's great news that the plans to bring this iconic building into a use that will benefit residents, visitors and businesses in the area have been approved.

"Yarm is an attractive and diverse town and the refurbishment of the Town Hall will help to secure its long-term future by attracting new visitors to the area."

"This is a really positive step for the plans we have been progressing to make our town centres fit for future generations."

John Coulson, acting chair of Yarm Town Council, said: "The refurbishment of Yarm Town Hall is a project that has been considered for a number of years so I am really pleased that these plans have been given the go-ahead.

"The Town Hall is one of Yarm's most important buildings and the refurbishment will allow more people than ever to appreciate its importance to the town and the wider community."

As part of Yarm Town Hall's refurbishment, the existing public toilet inside the building will be permanently relocated to a new-build extension to Yarm Library.

This will allow the facility to have more flexible opening hours than the library's operational times. 

Work is due to begin on the Town Hall's restoration in late summer, following on from works to relocate the public toilet into the new facility.

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