MULTI million pound improvements to Skipton Town Hall have moved a step closer after councillors agreed to underwrite works to the tune of £1.6 million.

Days after plans were lodged to transform the museum, gallery and concert hall, Craven councillors agreed to underwrite the entire £4.6 million project, in case funding bids were unsuccessful.

Councillors also agreed that a second stage bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for £1.5 million be made before tomorrow’s (Friday) deadline, and that an additional £136,000 be allocated from the council’s new homes bonus.

The council’s head of finance, Nicola Chick, told members funding organisations favoured Craven and that she was ‘fairly optimistic’ they would be successful, but if they were not, there were a number of options, including borrowing any shortfall from the Public Works Loans Board, selling assets or the council borrowing the money from itself.

Cllr Simon Myers urged his fellow councillors at Monday’s Policy Committee meeting to write to the HLF in a joint show of support and to agree to underwrite the project in its entirety, although he was very hopeful applications to funding organisations would be successful.

He said the lottery had been very encouraging and flexible but had asked that the whole redevelopment – which is centred on the museum and concert hall and will feature a rear education room extension - be undertaken.

“HLF are keen that the whole of the development we wish to do will be encompassed in our bid.

“We need to underwrite the funding beyond the HLF bid,” he told councillors.

The HLF awarded the council £98,000 almost two years ago to prepare a vision and detailed plans for the 150 year old listed building before submitting a second stage bid for the full £1.5 million.

Since then, officers with the assistance of HLF have been asking people what they want from the town hall and have now put together a full planning application aimed at creating a cultural and performance centre for everyone in Craven.

That application has now been lodged with the council’s planning department, and should be determined in the next few weeks.

Cllr Myers said the project was much more about developing the town hall into a place for people to enjoy the museum and theatre, but was seen as a major part of the regeneration of Craven.

“This is not just about being arty, we believe this will help to regenerate our area and will bring enormous dividends in the future,” he said.

Cllr Myers said once the HLF bid was submitted, he believed the council would hear whether it had been successful or not by late November, or early December, at about the same time officers would also hear from other funding organisations.

“The more positive we are, the more positive these bodies are about what we are doing.

“It is important that local authorities maintain their cultural hubs in their communities and I and the officers will fight very hard to make sure we get the money,” he said.