ESSENTIAL improvements totalling £425,000 to Blackburn Town Hall have been unveiled ahead of schedule.

The building, on King William Street, has been undergoing external facade restoration work as the final part of an 18-month improvement project taking place in three stages.

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The final stage started in early 2016 and Aura Conservation was appointed principal contractor to carry out the sensitive work.

Cllr Phil Riley, borough regeneration boss, said: “It is a grand building and it is good to see it being taken care of and renovated.”

The building has been extensively cleaned using the Therma-Tech super-heated system to remove the build-up of various vegetation, pollutants and tough carbon deposits. All work was carried out to match the original profile of the building, completed in 1856 in the Italian Renaissance style by architect James Paterson.

Cllr Andy Kay, executive member for the resources portfolio and deputy leader of the council, said that the work is crucial to the building’s running.

He said: “It has been essential to get this work done.

“It might not have had a massive difference to the appearance but we had to get these issues solved.

“There was repairing windows, ensuring they were water tight and putting a second glazing and increasing thermal capacity.”

Cllr Andy Kay said: “Preparations had been made, access had not been reduced as provision had been made for pedestrians, but it is good that the work is now done and the scaffolding can come down. It has generally gone very well. You can see the building now, which is good.”

ESSENTIAL improvements totalling £425,000 to Blackburn Town Hall have been unveiled ahead of schedule.

The important building, located on King William Street, has been undergoing external facade restoration work as the final part of an 18 month improvement project taken place in three stages.

The final stage started in early 2016 and Aura Conservation were appointed as principal contractor to carry out the sensitive work.

Cllr Phil Riley, borough regeneration boss, said: “It’s a grand building and it’s good to see it being taken care of and renovated.”

The building has been extensively cleaned using the Therma-Tech super-heated system to remove the build-up of various vegetation, pollutants and tough carbon deposits.

All work was carried out to match the original profile of the building, which was completed in 1856 in the Italian Renaissance style by architect James Paterson.

Cllr Andy Kay, executive member for the resources portfolio and deputy leader of the council, said that the work done is crucial to the buildings running.

He said: “It’s been essential to get this work done.

“It might not have had a massive difference to the appearance, but we had to get these issues solved.

“There was repairing windows, ensuring they were, water tight and putting a second glazing and increasing thermal capacity.”

Work on the town hall started approximately 18 months ago, with the first stage of work carried out on the link bridge.

This was followed by work on the front of the town hall being carried out last year, before the final phase.

High level large stone urns, which had become loose due to the corrosion of ferrous fixings, had to be lifted temporarily while the fixings were replaced with stainless steel prior to being repositioned.

Complete overhaul of the sash windows has been completed including redecoration work and installation of a bird deterrent system on completion.

Cllr Andy Kay said: “Preparations had been made, access hadn’t been reduced as provision had been made for pedestrians, but it is good that the work is now done and the scaffolding can come down.

“It’s generally gone very well. You can actually see the building now, which will be a good thing.”