MIDDLEWICH’S Victoria Hall is set for a revamp, with the aim of making the venue the hub of the town.

Town councillors have approved a series of measures which it’s hoped will make the hall more attractive to businesses.

They include new fire-resistant curtains and blinds, as well as sourcing new cutlery, and plates.

Middlewich Labour councillor Jonathan Parry said: “I think there’s huge potential for the hall. It’s always under-achieved and actually cost the council money for a long, long time but the month before the lockdown it was doing really, really well.

“We put on a massively successful event with electro 80s that brought in a lot of money.

“I would like to see more events like that, but for it also to be somewhere that is a large venue that people can hire. It’s got the potential for small conferences, meeting rooms, and weddings.

“People hire and buy with their eyes — if we can get it looking a lot nicer, I’m sure we can attract a lot of people so everyone in Middlewich can benefit.”

Plans are also in place to produce a feasibility study on working alongside architects to analyse how the hall’s space could be improved in the future, alongside working with audio-visual specialists on how new technology can be incorporated into the venue for conferencing.

The scheme is to come in alongside a revised list of hire charges, with hire up to four hours now costing £75, and up to eight hours costing £150.

Additional rates for weddings, use of the bar, hiring out the site for the full day, evening, or weekend have also been given the go-ahead.

They are accompanied by a new community group discount, which will see non-profit groups only pay 75% of the full rate.

The Town Clerk now also has discretion to completely waive fees for charity events, such as local fundraisers.

The measures have come in after councillors revealed that the hall had lost £26,955 worth of income this year, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

That figure is made up of £11,275 of lost bookings, and £15,680 of lost bar takings.

Regular users of the hall include weightwatchers, bowls, primary schools, and a variety of private functions.