A £10.6million scheme to turn Shrewsbury’s Music Hall into a heritage centre has received a welcome boost with almost £1 million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The successful grant from the regional body comes after two previous national attempts were turned down.
It means the project for the Music Hall – which closes its doors as a theatre in January – is only short of £600,000 and work on demolition can start in the new year.
The Music Hall is currently managed by Lezley Picton, borough cultural services manager, with programme and marketing manager Adam Burgan.
Project team manager Dominic Wallis said he was delighted the regional Heritage Lottery Fund had decided to back the scheme with £999,000.
He said: “We are ecstatic about it. The scheme is on track. In March, it will become a building site heading towards the opening in November 2011.
“The scheme was short of £1.6 million. We have a project board and they have to make a decision whether or not to proceed on the rather small amount of £600,000.”
But Mr Wallis said despite also previously failing to get funding from Advantage West Midlands, officials would hold a meeting with the Birmingham-based regional development agency on December 15 to see if funding for the last few thousands could be made available.
Mr Wallis said: “They did write to us and ask if we could talk to them about a lesser amount.”
Councillor Charles Armstrong, portfolio holder, said it was “fantastic” news.
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