Council to decided on whether to support £2.6m refurb of Almonry

Councillors will meet on Monday to discuss the future of the Almonry and whether they will fund an application for £2.6 million for its restoration.

To make the submission to the Museum Estate and Development Fund, Evesham Town Council will have to contribute a minimum of 10 per cent of the funding.

This meeting comes following an inspection by Arnold Bartosch Chartered Surveyors.

Mike Joy, who conducted the inspection, wrote in his report: “This important historic building is currently on the cusp of falling into serious decay, despite valiant efforts by the owners.”

Particularly issues noted were the roofs, which need to be re-laid, and the timber framing and stonework which has meant the building’s structure is ‘deteriorating significantly’.

The report outlined £816,400 worth of “essential repairs” that should be completed “as soon as funding is available”.

This includes £178,000 to repair the timber framing and £593,500 to strip and re-cover stone slate roofs.

Mr Joy’s report added: “The issues identified are a combination of the use of inappropriate material for repairs, poor maintenance and general wear and age.

“Urgent repairs are required to prevent further decay and associated increased costs in the future.

“The size and complexity of the building, and the nature of the required repairs is likely to be expensive, and beyond the financial resources of the Town Council without outside grant assistance.”

The manager of the Almonry has said that some of the funding would be used to install new heating and lighting, as well as upgrades to intruder and fire alarm systems.

They have asked that funding be made available for the start of the project in April 2023, should the application be successful.

The Almonry has also explored other funding opportunities including the Historic Houses Foundation, with a pre-application set to be reviewed in September.

The council will need to apply for the MEND funding by September 30.