Renovation work on Manchester’s Our Town Hall (OTH) project is experiencing delays amid “challenges it continues to face”, and there is continued uncertainty over the completion date, Manchester City Council has warned.
The council said the final date, initially set for July 2024, would be confirmed in January next year. He warned in a project update on Wednesday (July 12) that if the program were extended to accommodate all the delays experienced, it could add two years to the schedule.
“The length and complexity of the project is such that it has been plagued by some unprecedented challenges, the cost impacts of which are magnified due to the sheer scale involved,” council vice-chairman Luthfur Rahman said.
The town hall was built in 1877 but fell into disrepair and is now in need extensive restoration. Historic features such as the grand entrance hall and council chamber are being restored, and the new facilities will include a café, bar and roof terrace.
The budget for the OTH project, which started in 2020 with Lendlease as the main contractor, was initially set at £328.3m. The council said that hyperinflation in the construction industry, along with the knock-on effects of the pandemic and “other unpredictable factors”, have had a £67m impact on the project.
The council’s executive, which meets on July 26, will need to approve an additional £29m of interim funding to complete a key part of the construction phase. This will be financed through loans.
An application for additional funding that is needed to complete the project will be made in January 2024, also for loans.
Final costs cannot be confirmed until an extension to the program has been agreed, the council said in its update.
He added that repair and restoration work on the Grade I listed building is 60% complete.
One of the challenges is that work in the roof area revealed corrosion, cracks and splits in the Victorian cast iron drainage pipes and gutters. “Cast iron is currently a rare commodity with long delivery times, which have contributed to delays,” the council explained, noting that more extensive work may be required on the roof.
Other delays have been caused by works to create new lift shafts and install pipes, ducts and cables, due to the alignment and size of floors and chimney ducts.
Timelines have also been affected by a backlog of fire performance tests, which are required as a result of post-Grenfell fire safety standards.
Rahman said: “No one pretends this has been easy, but the end result will be something really special, a source of pride and a remarkable asset for Manchester.”
