Stoke-on-Trent City Council has completed works on the historic, local building Tunstall Town Hall, which was built in 1885.
The city council have been revamping the Town Hall, alongside contractor and developer G F Tomlinson, since April 2020 to uncover, repair and preserve some of the original heritage features. The sympathetic restoration of the Grade II Listed building, bought back to life the double flight staircase, the Victorian cabinet, beautiful plaster covings, original men’s toilets, original woodwork including the etched doors, skirting and architraves and the record of Tunstall council members, which had previously been mothballed.
A new chequerboard was also installed, along with re-carpeting the stairs, removing the ‘later’ modern extension at the front to return the Town Hall to its original frontage, using skilled stone masons. The refurbished building is now set to open week commencing 5th September 2022.
The investment into the restoration and re-purposing of Tunstall Town Hall demonstrates the council’s commitment to heritage in the city, as showcased by the recent Heritage Congress and plans to establish a preservation trust. The investment also includes Stoke and Longton Town Halls, with Tunstall Town Hall being the most ambitious refurbishment to date. The coouncil’s historical buildings have also been the highlight of recent engagement visits from Historic England Commissioners.
Councillor Daniel Jellyman, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Infrastructure and Heritage has said: “Improving Tunstall Town Hall and moving much needed services into one building is a great start to improving the area. The project shows the council cares about its historic buildings and their significance in communities and is another example of the council being trusted to deliver heritage led projects of this nature.
“The building was in a much worse state of repair than first thought. The front elevation was rotating towards the street and some of the roof tiles had perished and after decades of limited investment, a lot of the structure had become a concern, with one of the first tasks to peel as much of the plaster and finishes to expose the structure.
“The heritage improvement works for a beautiful building have helped us uncover some incredible features and really capture the craftmanship of historical architectural roots with in the city.”
Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, commented: “We’re incredibly proud to have completed work on the historical Tunstall Town Hall and to see it in its former glory.
“We have extensive experience delivering heritage projects of this nature, which has seen us working collaboratively with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to successfully restore and re-model Longton Town Hall prior to commencing on Tunstall. The restoration has breathed life back into the building, which will enhance the local area, and we look forward to seeing the doors reopen again soon.”
