Extra £95m cost of town hall revamp a 'disaster'

Delays to the refurbishment of Manchester Town Hall and the associated rising costs have been described as a "disaster of project management".

An extra £95m is needed to finish the restoration of the Victorian town hall and the work is expected to take at least another six more months to finish.

It will now cost £525m to restore the neo-Gothic building which is expected to re-open in early 2027.

Describing it as "just a fact" that it was a "disaster of project management", Councillor Richard Kilpatrick said: "The reality is £305m has gone to £500m".

This is the second time in 15 months that councillors have been asked for more cash, with £76m extra granted last autumn.

"I do not know if it's cultural that we can set a budget and increase it once, increase it twice, and - to hell with it - increase it three times," said Kilpatrick.

"It puts us in a difficult position because we have to accept it."

Labour's deputy leader Garry Bridge said: "It's not easy.

"We do not want to ask for extra money but it's the right thing to do.

"There are big macro factors like the pandemic and war in Europe for the first time in living memory."

The extra £95m is expected to be approved by the council's executive committee on 10 December.

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