Maryport Town Hall re-opens after £200,000 refurbishment

The building has a bespoke glass mural of the Maryport skyline installed and will also host other creative works in the future. Credit: Allerdale Borough Council

A Georgian town hall in Cumbria is re-opening after a £200,000 refurbishment.

Maryport Town Hall is now a base for Allerdale Borough Council and residents can book appointments to meet with councillors as well as council officers about housing benefit and council tax queries.

The building, which was originally the Cumberland Union Bank, has been re-painted, while the roof and blocked up windows have now been repaired and reinstalled.

The hall features a bespoke glass mural of the Maryport skyline in its main entranceway, while a new piece of work by town artist Alan Roper is also on display in the building.

The Made in Maryport Cultural Consortium will install future creative exhibitions.

Allerdale Borough Council's Maryport regeneration team will also be based in the building.

Councillor Mike Johnson, leader of the borough council, said:

"I’m really looking forward to seeing the doors of this historic building open once more. It’s not only a Maryport landmark – it’s a vital community resource.

"I’m so pleased we secured the funding to make this renovation happen. It’s an important part of our regeneration work in this great town."

An internal doorway has been widened to allow easier disabled access and ground floor accessible toilets have also been installed.

The refurbishment was carried out through Maryport's High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative, funded by Historic England, Allerdale Borough Council and Sellafield Ltd.

Cumbria Police will also have a space in Maryport Town Hall, which officers hope will "embed" them in the local community.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Scott Adams said: "We are pleased to have been given a space that we can use within the Town Hall. This will help us increase our visibility and accessibility to the Maryport community giving them a local space to speak to officers. 

“Being embedded into the community with this space will help us to tackle local issues with our partners, prevent and detect crime and build relationships in the community."

Maryport Town Hall will also host an open-door event on Wednesday 2 November from 11am to 2pm.

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