£1.5m County Durham town hall transformation set to begin

Work is set to begin on a £1.5m refurbishment of a central town hall in County Durham this autumn.

Durham County Council is investing in the refurbishment of Bishop Auckland Town Hall, situated in the Market Place, to turn it into a ‘thriving’ cultural hub for the town.

The Grade II listed building will be closed from the end of August until next spring to allow the work to take place, which includes the creation of a new café, bar and contemporary art gallery space on the ground floor, as well as enhanced library facilities.

In addition, the hall’s auditorium will be revamped with updated seating, and the cinema will become fully digitised, allowing blockbusters to be shown as well as live screenings, theatrical productions, comedy nights and lectures.

It is hoped that the transformation of the town hall into a community hub will boost local tourism to the area, capitalising on the popularity of historical theatre experience Kynren and viewing platform Auckland Tower which sits next to Auckland Castle.

Cllr Joy Allen, cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism at Durham County Council, commented: “By improving facilities and staging a wider variety of events, the new-look Bishop Auckland Town Hall will provide enriching and inspirational experiences for local people of all ages.

“It will also attract people from outside of the area, boosting the profits of the venue and other town centre businesses, and complementing events such as Kynren and the multi- million-pound conservation of Auckland Castle.”