COUNCIL chiefs have restated the vow to breathe new life into Evesham’s mothballed Public Hall despite missing out on £9million of Government money.
The Government has confirmed Wychavon was not one of the areas chosen to receive money from the Levelling Up Fund.
Wychavon had applied for £9million from the fund to pay for a package of transport improvements to help ease congestion. They included walking and cycling routes, real-time information about bus journeys and increasing capacity at the A46/B4035 roundabout.
Some of the money would also have been used to bring Evesham Public Hall back into use as the new home for Evesham Arts Centre, as part of the first phase of regenerating the ailing Riverside Shopping Centre.
The iconic landmark in the heart of the town opened in 1904 and was closed back in 2009 as part of Wychavon’s cost saving drive at the height of the credit crunch, leaving the building empty and unused ever since.
Campaigners mounted a bid to reopen the hall in 2016 and claimed it had been ‘left to rot’ by the then council leadership.
Despite the setback, council bosses have confirmed they were exploring ways the project can still go ahead.
Coun Martin King, executive board member for Town Centres and Council Efficiency, said: “We are disappointed our bid was unsuccessful as we felt we had a strong case, but we are committed to the regeneration of Evesham Public Hall.
“We know transport issues need addressing in the town as well and discussions continue with partners to see how we can deliver some of these measures, including looking for other funding opportunities.”
