Council backs extra £4.5m spend on listed building

The extra £4.5m cost of refurbishing a celebrated entertainment venue has been defended by the council leader.

Blackburn with Darwen councillors have approved a 50% increase in the price of the work to King George's Hall from £9m to £13.5m.

Council leader Phil Riley said the work was inevitable if the job is to be done properly.

The landmark 104-year-old Grade II heritage-listed venue, which has hosted The Beatles, Queen and David Bowie, is due to re-open next autumn.

The hall's foundation stone was laid by King George V in 1913, but construction was paused during World War One, when the building was used as a Red Cross hospital.

The venue, known as KGH, was formally opened in October 1921 and was last extensively renovated in 1994.

The extra cost of the work was revealed in a report to the council last Thursday, after additional problems were discovered in the initial phases of the refurbishment.

Councillor Riley said: "It would make absolutely no sense at all to stop halfway through and have to do it all again."

Fellow councillor Damian Talbot who said: "Now is the time to invest in this building.

"KGH is a huge asset to the borough.

"This is to guarantee the future proofing of the building."

The additional £4.5m investment will allow for re-wiring in the main Concert Hall and Windsor Suite and new high-spec lighting replacements for the lifts.

It will also pay for upgrades to Akbar's restaurant, as well as new gas and water pipes.

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