Wolverhampton Civic Hall: Extra £23.7m pledged for botched revamp bid
An extra multi-million pound budget has been signed off for the botched Civic halls revamp scheme.
Councillors gave the go-ahead for the £23.7m of extra cash needed to complete the project before it reopens in two years time.
It means £38.1m will now be spent on refurbishing the Civic Hall and Wulfrun Hall despite council bosses initially setting aside just £14.4m.
During a Wolverhampton council meeting on Wednesday, Councillor John Reynolds said extra money was needed for the project to ‘secure the future for generations to come’.
The cabinet member for city economy said: “Clearly with a figure like this, it’s not something we have taken light-heartedly.
“An independent contractor confirmed the figure we are talking about here is approved for some projects nationwide. So, we know that these costs are as accurate as they possibly can be.
“It’s a much loved building. It’s a building that is not just loved locally.”
The Civic halls revamp - which will see extra seating across new balconies, improved and new bar and hospitality areas, ventilation, lifts and better access to the Wulfrun Hall – was originally due to cost £14.4 million.
