THE consultation over plans to ‘green,’ modernise, and future-proof the Festival Hall ends on Friday – and now councillors will be considering the next step in the proposed project with a £13m price tag.

Petersfield Town Council owns the hall and says it is in varying need of repair, and has been consulting over ambitious proposals that will see £13,098,000 of work carried out on the 1930s building.

Cllr Paul Milner said: “We will now put together a consultation report for the architects, council and residents.

“This will outline any changes that might be needed, if in the main residents are in favour of the idea or not.

“Once any changes have been made, the plans will be looked at again.

“But we can’t start any work – the council doesn’t have the money, and unless a generous source of money miraculously appears, it would be some time before anything happened.”

The council has set aside £750,000 to reach this stage, and has said it may borrow money for the work from lenders like the government’s Public Works Loans Board.

Cllr Milner added: “The hall’s kitchen extension is in disrepair and I can see that being replaced as soon as possible, and based on July 2021 prices that would cost £1,609,000.

“But it could be years before the work on remaining zones is considered.”

The Post has been revealing the stages of the work and the last two are Zone 8 (exterior landscaping) and Zone 9 (energy upgrade).

Zone 8 proposes minor work costing £118,000 around the planned new kitchen extension (Zone 1) and around the hall entrance and Rose Room (Zones 2 & 3).

And with Zone 9, the energy upgrade is optional but has gained significant public support.

It covers improvements to insulation, ventilation and heating throughout the hall to reduce carbon emissions.

Completing Zone 9 at a cost of £1,673,000 would also future-proof the hall ahead of any future environmental regulation. For details visit the website at www.petersfield-tc.gov.uk/projects/festival-hall/