The second year of a four year programme to refurbish Alloa Town Hall is complete.

The work to renovate the interior of the building, which dominates the town centre, began in March and was completed on schedule and on budget.

This followed the first year of the programme when the roof, guttering, downpipes and ironwork was all overhauled.

Alloa Town Hall is a 'C' listed building and the Council will invest to total of £750,000 over four years in restoring the building's splendour in order to maximise its potential as a community venue.

Further external improvements carried out this year have included resurfacing the access road, improved landscaping and cleaning the surrounding paving.

The Town Hall has many fine architectural details including the magnificent tiled staircase and mosaic floor tiling. These have been meticulously cleaned and new lighting show these features in their full glory.

The centrepiece of the building is the imposing main hall, which originally housed Alloa's first public library.

The improvements to the main hall include complete redecoration and the heating has also been upgraded. Performance lighting, a new sound system, and two large, wall-mounted televisions have also been installed.

The floor has been sanded and varnished, new carpets have been laid, new stage and window curtains have been hung and the chairs on the balcony have been recovered. A new bar has been installed and a new floor has been laid on the stage. All the 'behind the scenes' rooms have been redecorated with new lighting and new carpets.

The two public rooms on the first floor have also been redecorated and new carpets have been fitted. The bar has been removed from what is now the 'blue room' to make the room more flexible.

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Low energy lighting has been installed throughout the building and the stained glass window on the first floor has been repaired.

The majority of the work was carried out by the Council's own tradesmen except for the very specialist work.

Plans for the future include installing a stair lift in the stairwell to allow disabled access to the first floor for the first time. The Council also plans to fully replace the heating system as well as restore the mosaic flooring.

When the hall first opened there were science rooms and art studios in the roofspace and the Council also plans to refurbish these rooms to allow more community use.

The Town Hall is a very significant building in the history of Alloa representing the civic pride which grew with the rapid expansion following the growth of the textile industry across the area in the later 19th century. It was designed by famous Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse who is best know for his design for the Natural History Museum in London and Manchester Town Hall. It was built in 1888 at a cost of £18,008 - £1.825million in today's money.

The hall was donated to the town by John Thomson Paton of Norwood, director of Paton's Alloa mills. A bust of John Thomson Paton sits in the entrance hall and this has been enhanced during the refurbishment with a new marble table top.

The hall became listed in 1972 in recognition of its national historic and architectural importance.

Alloa Town Hall has been in continuous use since it was built, adapting to meet the changing demands of Clackmannanshire's people. It hosted concerts for troops during World War Two and the first concert by the band that was to become The Beatles in 1960, when the Fab Four were known as The Silver Beetles and were backing a Liverpudlian crooner called Johnny Gentle.

The Town Hall has hosted a many prestigious visitors including Her Majesty the Queen in July 1997. It is home to many Council and civic events and has also held meetings of the Scottish Parliament. It is the traditional home of local and national election counts and result declarations in Clackmannanshire.

It is also a well-loved community venue and is home to many sporting events such as wrestling and darts competitions as well as sportsman's dinners; real ale festivals; ceilidhs; pantomimes and plays; family celebrations and weddings.

Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder, said: "It is intended that the hall will be busier and more popular than ever following the refurbishment. This project has given us the opportunity to demonstrate our staff's expertise in historic restoration and refurbishment.

"This magnificent building has been given a new lease of life through the restoration work. It is very rewarding to see this phase come to fruition for the benefit of the community. We are extremely proud of the work that we are doing in Clackmannanshire to provide facilities for the local community.

"Restored to its former glory, the town hall can once again fulfill its role as the heart of civic and community life. Residents and visitors have the opportunity to hire these unique facilities which offer the area a prestigious performance, conference, banqueting and event space."

(GK/KMcA)