Revamp cost forces hall sale
An historic Great Barr hall looks set to be sold off because council chiefs cannot afford the £1 million to restore it, a secret report revealed today.An historic Great Barr hall looks set to be sold off because council chiefs cannot afford the £1 million to restore it, a secret report revealed today. The future of Red House at Redhouse Park has been hanging in the balance for 18 months. The building has been the target of vandals for years, and is in a poor state. Council chiefs were deciding whether to keep the building and use it as office space or sell it off - possibly for housing. Read the full story in the Express & Star
An historic Great Barr hall looks set to be sold off because council chiefs cannot afford the £1 million to restore it, a secret report revealed today.
The future of Red House at Redhouse Park has been hanging in the balance for 18 months.
The building has been the target of vandals for years, and is in a poor state.
Council chiefs were deciding whether to keep the building and use it as office space or sell it off - possibly for housing.Reports obtained by the Express & Star detail how it could cost up to £150,000 to make the necessary repairs to the 162-year-old house.
Initial figures also show it could cost the council as much as £1 million to make use of the building.
According to the reports, one of the most likely outcomes is that the building will be sold off for residential use.
The reports say keeping the building is an unworkable option.
But cabinet member for regeneration and transport Councillor Bob Badham says no formal decision had been made.
The house dates back to 1845 and current tenants British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) are planning to quit the building after years of vandalism.