Plans have been submitted to bring Whitby’s historic Old Town Hall back into use for the benefit of residents and visitors.
We have lodged two applications, one for building repairs, first floor restoration and Market Place improvements.
The second application is to install sliding glazed partitions within the undercroft of the Grade II* listed building off Church Street.
The aim is to turn the area into a year-round space that can be used for community events and cultural activities alongside the current market on the site.
The uses listed in the applications are for the sale of goods by the market traders, as well as the display of art, a museum and a community meeting space.
The plan was one of six priority projects from the Whitby Town Investment Plan chosen to proceed to delivery under the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Towns Fund programme which saw Whitby secure £17.1 million in funding.
Whitby Town Council and the Whitby Town Deal Board have worked alongside us to progress the project, which is worth £1 million.
Match-funding still needs to be secured for the glazed element of the scheme and this will be taken forward once planning permission has been granted.
It is hoped work will start later this year and be completed by March 2025.
Development and design work for the project has also been aided by a £15,000 grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund.
The town hall was built in 1788 after being commissioned by Lord of the Manor, Nathaniel Cholmley, and was also the location for the first ever Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society meeting in September 1823.