The Town Hall project has reached an important milestone – we have completed our stage 4 design drawings, and we are seeking contractors to undertake the main work.

Designs are firmed up in terms of what the Town Hall might look like. There are several features that will make the building feel very different to how it did decades ago, when residents turned up to pay their rates! 

Firstly, we are knocking down the wall that faces you as you go in the main doors.  For years, this has made the building feel like somewhere local people were not really welcome.  Our architects, HAT Projects, have incorporated the void between the old Town Hall from 1859 and the Compass Street extensions of 1899, to create ‘The Yard’: a thoroughfare that leads to the café, heritage gallery and events space, and generally says ‘Come on in!’ Along the Yard we will have exhibition cases built into the walls, displaying the civic artefacts and other items from the town. 

There will be lots of spaces for the public to use, including smaller meeting rooms and the big events space. A messy room will double up as somewhere to run creative workshops alongside a suitable place for youth groups to use, where noone will be too precious about the floor/walls etc!

Meanwhile, all the historic features of the building will be restored, including the stained-glass windows, the Council Chamber itself, the clock faces and all the colourful encaustic tiled floors. 

At a practical level, the Town Hall will, of course, have several accessible toilets, but in addition, we are delighted that it will include a Changing Places room, which provides facilities for people with more complex needs.  This will allow those who cannot use toilet facilities independently to still be able to visit and enjoy the building.

As noted at the outset, we are in the midst of the tender for the main construction contract. This is where we go out with our detailed designs and pricing documents, and invite contractors to bid for the work.  We are pleased to have received several compliant bids for the work, but unfortunately, all exceed our budget. 

Our design team has been reviewing designs to find ways to deliver the project more economically, and we have put a package together that has gone back out to the bidders for pricing.  However, we know that although we will reduce costs, we will not bring them back in line with budget – there are too many complexities that cannot be eliminated, and a market that is seeing very high inflation across the board.

We have approached our funders, including the Heritage Fund and East Suffolk Council, to discuss the issue and are in the process of applying for uplifts from them.  If necessary, Lowestoft Town Council will increase its Public Works Loan Board loan to £5m.  This can still be repaid annually without in itself triggering a rise in Council Tax. This is something we promised during last year’s consultations, and we will keep that promise.

If all goes to plan, and the additional funds are secured, we would hope to appoint a contractor at the end of this year, and to complete the work by late Spring/Summer 2026. 

Meanwhile, the heritage activity plan continues apace.  Look out for lots of events, workshops, talks and activities that you can participate in as part of this exciting project. 

It’s a long time in the making, but we know it will be worth the wait!