Essential repairs are under way on Liverpool’s historic Town Hall.
The emergency stone restoration is being carried out on external areas of the Grade I listed building that were bomb damaged during the Blitz in 1941.
The maintenance is necessary because parts of the stonework repaired afterwards have deteriorated significantly and are now becoming a risk to public safety.
Scaffolding has been erected around the rear of the building, and it will be partly screened off by plastic sheeting off while the work is being carried out.
The work includes installing new mouldings, replacing lead flashing and renewing protective netting.
Lord Mayor, Councillor Gary Millar, said: “The Town Hall is one of the city’s outstanding buildings and belongs to the people of Liverpool.
“In my short term as the city’s new Lord Mayor, I have been pleasantly surprised to learn how busy and successful it has become as a venue for weddings, civil partnerships, functions, meetings and conferences.
“I am proud of its many uses and realise that in difficult financial times every penny counts and hiring out our stunning ballrooms, offices and council chamber makes all the difference.
“Of course, there are our many very important Civic events and they also need a building that is safe and fit for purpose. This piece of vital maintenance will ensure that the building continues to be structurally sound and safe for many years to come and continue to be enjoyed by the many thousands of visitors it receives.
“It is one of our prized cultural assets and therefore essential we maintain it to a very high standard and we have brought in heritage experts to carry out this emergency work.”
The work, being carried out by Grosvenor Construction, will take until the end of September to complete. Access to the building will be maintained throughout.
Town Hall facts
• It is the third Town Hall in the city’s history
• It was designed by architect John Wood and opened in 1754
• It was funded by city businesses and entrepreneurs, many associated with the slave trade
• An unsuccessful cannon attack was launched from the River Mersey during the American War of Independence in 1775
• A blaze in 1795 led to it being rebuilt under the supervision of architect James Wyatt
• The Fenians were thwarted in an attempt to blow up the building in 1881
• The Hall of Remembrance carries the name of 13,000 people who died during WW1
