Historic old town hall in Bourne awarded £3.3 million restoration grant

A historic building in Bourne is to be restored and transformed into a community hub – thanks to a £3.3 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Old Town Hall, in North Street, will become a unique cultural venue, offering a programme of entertainment and education for all ages.

The Grade II-listed Georgian building, which dates back to 1821, has stood empty since 2014 and was at risk of falling into a state of disrepair.

It’s former clock tower, destroyed by fire in the 1930s, will also be restored under the approved plans.

The announcement of award money comes after eight years of tireless work by volunteers at the Bourne Town Hall Trust.

Charles Houseago, Chair of the Trust said: “We are thrilled to have received this significant grant. The National Lottery Heritage Fund have provided amazing support to this project with initial funding for a viability study in 2017 and the development grant in 2022 to allow us to develop the detailed plans.

"Now this final major grant will turn over eight years of planning into the reality of the biggest community projects ever seen in the heart of Bourne.

"This can only be achieved thanks to National Lottery players generating the funding which allows us to be able to restore and provide permanent access to this important building for all the townspeople of Bourne.”

With the funding, it is hoped the building will be brought back into daily use as a community hub. Historically, it served the people of Bourne as a sessions house, fire station, shambles market, town hall and council offices.

A Trust spokesperson said: “When the work is complete, the Old Town Hall will be a heritage and culture hub for our town, offering a high-quality regular programme of entertainment and education for all ages and interests.

“The funding will enable the building to be completely restored, the clock tower reconstructed and the original 200-year-old clock recommissioned to operate the new dial and chime the hours.”

Internally, the spaces will be restored to their former glory, with the addition of lifts and facilities to make the building accessible to all.

The new designs also aim for maximum sustainability, which include improved insulation, solar panels and a heat pump technology to bring the building up to date through increased efficiency.

A significant part of the ongoing project is the Trust’s ‘Community Activity Plan’ which includes heritage research, heritage outreach and education alongside events such as exhibitions, poetry, craft markets, film, live music and talks.

The spokesperson added: “In the long-term, the project will create a heritage and entertainment hub, at the heart of Bourne, for the benefit and enjoyment of all sectors of the community. It will restore a building which belongs to the townspeople and provide employment and volunteering opportunities.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re excited to award Bourne Town Hall Trust a grant of £3.3million to restore the town hall. Thanks to National Lottery players, this historic part of Bourne's town centre will become a thriving community space for culture and heritage, and we're pleased to see the care being taken to improve the building's accessibility and environmental sustainability.”

The Trust spokesperson concluded: “Bourne Town Hall Trust was formed in 2017 by a small group of volunteers with the goal of raising the funds to restore and operate this important heritage building for the benefit of the townspeople of Bourne. This award represents a significant achievement for the team who have given up so much of their own time to achieve this important milestone.”

Since announcing the news earlier today, the Trust has received positive feedback about their work. Commenting on Facebook, one follower writes: “Humongous congratulations to each of you in the amazing team for the tremendous hard work you've all done over a long period to get to this stage”. Another comments: “thank you to all of those who are making this dream a reality.”