Facelift for Marlborough Town Hall
7:00am Sunday 30th November 2008
Comments (1)Proposals to give the front of the town hall in Marlborough a facelift as part of new disabled access plan, could now go ahead because of a grant from Kennet.
However, the town council will have to dig deep into its reserves to find the money to match fund the grant the district council has offered towards improving the 105-year-old building.
Initially the town council considered putting the district council grant towards turning the town hall basement into a visitor centre, but because of a lack of funds, that scheme has had to be shelved.
A working group led by Coun Rich Pitts has come up with a scheme to provide disabled access to both the front and side entrances together with glass inner doors at the main entrance.
Architect Andrew Bumphrey was asked to come up with improvements that would fit the £100,000 budget and came up with several ideas including those preferred by the councillors.
Neither entrance to the town hall allows access by the disabled. There are several steps at the front and a small step with a narrow pavement hindering wheelchair access to the north door.
Mr Bumphrey has designed a ramp from the pavement on the north side of the town hall main doors leading to an apron level by the door, with the ramp hidden behind a planter.
For the side entrance he has proposed reducing the floor level inside the doors with a gentle slope into the entrance hall. All the previous solutions have involved raising the pavement.
For years the council has considered improving the town hall access for the disabled.
Coun Stewart Dobson said: “We have all been most anxious that we should have proper disabled access to the hall.”
Coun Francis described the proposals as an enterprising and forward looking scheme.
Councillors have now agreed to press ahead with seeking consent for the proposals and getting work under way.
Coun Rich Pitts and Artitect Andrew Bumphrey with the plans for the town hall facelift
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Grumpy Old Cynic, Chippenham says...
7:06pm Sun 30 Nov 08
Access for disabled persons can be achieved very simply and cheaply by minor adjustments to the north side entrance, although I concede that widening the pavement by the Town Hall would be relatively expensive. A one-way traffic system would solve that problem and would be easy to set up as well as improving safety for pedestrians.
For my money I'd replace car parking (absolutely awful), down the centre of the High Street with a permanent market - antiques, flowers, cheese - take your pick, and I'd develop the Park & Ride scheme to compensate for the loss of spaces in the High Street. Thus the town would be a safer and far more attractive place for the disabled as well as for the rest of us!
You'll be telling us next that they're going to tear down the old Grammar School to make way for low cost social housing! Cardinal Wolsey will be turning in his grave, I shouldn't wonder!