COLNE Town Council has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to investigate the current condition and future usage options for three key heritage buildings in the town. The Council has successfully secured a £49,500 “Resilient Heritage” grant after submitting a detailed application to the HLF in January.
Colin Hill, the Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this grant and for the support they provided during the bid process.”
A leading firm of heritage architects, Purcell, is undertaking a condition survey of Colne Town Hall, the Town Hall extension (the former Liberal Club) and the Municipal Hall. The options appraisals also involve consideration of legal issues, income generation and the valuation of historic furniture and other artefacts stored at the Town Hall.
The Town Council is also consulting local people and businesses on future options for the use of these buildings. Two consultation meetings will be arranged at the Town Hall on Monday 3 July from 2- 4pm and on Tuesday 4th from 7- 9pm. The Town Council is especially keen to hear from those with an interest in local heritage. The meetings will be co-ordinated by the Town Council’s HLF Project Manager, Nigel Rix of Rix Regeneration, who can be contacted on 01282 777647 or [email protected]
Mr. Hill explained: “All our Councillors have been very supportive of taking this grant application forward and we are absolutely delighted to receive this significant grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is the first step in developing firm proposals for the improvement and beneficial use of these important heritage buildings within Colne. If we are successful in securing future awards for more substantial funding, this will be a major boost to help us maintain the fabric of these historic Colne buildings for the enjoyment of future generations to come. A key part of this work is to engage with local people about their future use, so we build a sound foundation for further grant applications to fund the restoration of each property.”
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #HLFsupported.
