An extra £29m is needed to keep the restoration project of Manchester Town Hall on track. And council bosses fear the reopening of the landmark could be delayed by up to two years - with the end-date for the programme not expected to be given until early next year.
The total budget for the project - the 'largest heritage scheme in the UK' - is set to rise to £357m later this month when the council's executive is expected to approve a £29m 'interim funding package' to keep things going.
That cash, bosses say, is to 'complete a key part of the construction phase'. Council chiefs say 'hyperinflation in the construction industry'; the knock-on cost of delays from the Covid-19 pandemic; and 'other unpredictable factors' have had a '£67m impact'.
