Town hall project secures another funding boost

East Dunbartonshire Council has secured a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to redevelop Kirkintilloch Town Hall.

In the first stage, HLF is providing a development grant of £41,500. The town hall plans will be developed during the course of this year and an application prepared for stage two - which, if successful, will secure a total grant of £594,100.

Combined with the £1.57million of external funds previously secured, that potentially takes the total funding raised to more than £2.1million.

The revamp of the 108-year-old B-listed building into a centre for arts, culture and community us, will cost around £4.9million.

Council leader Rhondda Geekie said: “I am delighted that the important Kirkintilloch Town Hall project has been given the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund, which agrees it has the potential to offer high-quality

benefits while being value for money.

“The aim is not to recreate the town hall as it was built more than a century ago, but to develop a flexible space which will be popular with people and groups of all ages - and for a variety of different uses.”

A detailed development and consultation phase for the town hall will be completed over the coming months.

It is envisaged that the new facility will include an industrial heritage museum, reflecting Kirkintilloch’s rich history.

A programme of holding works on the B-listed building is underway and will last until early July.

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “HLF believes that breathing new life into the town hall will not only re-establish it at the centre of community life, but will also make a marked contribution to the economics of Kirkintilloch.”