The Festival Hall will close early in the new year whilst work commences to build a new medical centre at the front of the hall and an extension is built on the side of the building for the new hall entrance.
The hall will probably close at the end of the first week in January for four months. During which time the Parish Council will also press on with the internal works to refurbish the hall, which they hope will be finished by time the hall is ready to reopen at the end of April.
Cllr Mike Williamson explained "The diverting of the services has all been completed. Once the hall is closed they are going to break up the doors and remove the stairs and the balcony and once the wall is made secure and water tight they will demolish the front of the building.
"Then they will start putting in the foundations so the demolition will take place in the second half of January."
The Parish Council will also need to submit a planning application for the side entrance and some of the other changes which require planning permission, such as new windows and doors. They hope to have obtained planning approval for these by the end of February.
Cllr Mike Williamson added "Our intention is to approach the builders to get architects to draw up the side extension and amendments to the building which we need planning for. The intention is start pre-application discussions with Cheshire East Council as soon as possible after Christmas."
Cllr Williamson also explained that the main thing holding up the lease with the doctors is the final report from the District Valuer, but it is the lawyers intention to get this signed before Christmas.
The building contract has been sent to Emersons and Cllr Williamson said "There are no major problems with that so the signature of that should follow very quickly after the lease with the doctors."
Alderley Edge Parish Council will be seeking a room to hold their monthly meetings whilst the Festival Hall is closed, I will confirm the location of each meeting in our events calendar.
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"They hope to have obtained planning approval for these by the end of February."
"The hall will probably close at the end of the first week in January..."
"Once the hall is closed they are going to break up the doors and remove the stairs and the balcony and once the wall is made secure and water tight they will demolish the front of the building.
"Then they will start putting in the foundations so the demolition will take place in the second half of January."