EXTENSIVE works to the Town Hall, Corn Exchange and Town Council offices in Blandford Forum have been given planning consent.

The alterations to the Grade 1 listed building, parts of which date back to the early 1730s, will improve public access to the Market Place complex, making it more useable.

The changes include works to the stage, the addition of a new staircase, lift, ramp and sliding doors.

Also planned are solar panels for the roof and reinstating some of the original features in the Corn Exchange, with a new gantry access and the installation of acoustic panels.

The planning consent from Dorset Council comes after a series of proposals to repair and revive the fortunes of the Corn Exchange over the last 40 years, none coming to fruition.

Said a supporting document from a planning agent for the town council: “ In some cases, ideas were perhaps over-ambitious and in other cases ideas were scuppered by circumstances out of the Town Council’s control. All the while, the condition of the building has been deteriorating and today there are regular instances of water ingress due to the poor condition of roofs, extensive damp in areas below-ground level and various other secondary issues. And, as every year passes the building and its facilities have become less and less suitable as the community has changed and the market for venues such as the Corn Exchange has moved on. Essential plant and equipment are now beyond its useful life and important parts of the building are difficult to let and are effectively obsolete. This lack of progress over an extended period of time has resulted in a sense of fatigue and cynicism amongst the community and at times amongst the Town Council itself.”

Said a Blandford Town Council statement: “The proposed changes to the Town Hall and Corn Exchange will significantly improve useability and provide access for all to the building. There are some minor areas where there may be the potential limited loss of historic fabric but this should be balanced against the significant and substantial public benefit of giving the buildings a realisable and sensible use for medium to long term and set against all of the improvements to the present historic fabric to re-instate the former grandeur and architecturally quality to this nationally significance Grade I listed building.”

Building tenders have been received by the town council from four contractors which are being reviewed.

The council will then consider the financing of the project with an application for a loan from the Public Works Loan Board, the Government-backed organisation which finances many public projects.