Planning permission has been granted for the £48.8 million transformation of Colston Hall in Bristol.
Bristol Music Trust, the organisation that runs Colston Hall, and Bristol City Council, which owns the building, have announced the submitted plans have been approved.
Louise Mitchell, CEO of Bristol Music Trust, said: “Now our plans have been approved we’ve reached the final milestone as we approach the start of the Hall’s transformation.
“We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of our partners and supporters who have got us to this stage.
“The Hall hasn’t been updated since it opened in the 1950s, so it’s long overdue a transformational refurbishment that will give Bristol and the South West a world class venue to be proud of as we make our detailed plans a reality.”
The news comes as Arts Council England confirm their commitment of £10m towards the transformation, which includes remodelling and upgrading the Main Hall and The Lantern, opening up the extensive cellars for the first time in 150 years – creating a new intimate performance space and education suite and refurbishing the fabric of the building.
Work on the transformation will begin in June 2018 and the new Hall will reopen to the public in 2020. During this period, Colston Hall will continue a live performance programme using the foyer building, which will remain open throughout the transformation, and other venues and spaces across the city.
Willmott Dixon has been selected by Bristol City Council as the preferred bidder to take the transformation to the next stage of development, which marks the second phase in the transformation of Colston Hall. The first phase involved the construction of the £20m foyer space, which opened in 2009.
Last year it was announced that Bristol Colston Hall is to be renamed for its 2020 relaunch to remove its association with 17th century slave trader, Edward Colston.
