Extra Investment for Historic Court Revamp as Tower Plan Shelved
Inverclyde Council is to plough an extra £127,000 into the refurbishment of its historic district court room as a tourist attraction and wedding venue.
It follows a decision by the Environment & Regeneration Committee to drop plans to make the Victoria Tower on the Municipal Buildings in Greenock accessible to the public.
Convener Councillor Michael McCormick said: “The Victoria Tower is probably Inverclyde’s most prominent landmark and we were keen to explore opening it up to as a tourist attraction in the area. I am disappointed that this is simply not possible because of the unique design and configuration of the interior. We have explored a range of ideas to get around the issues but unfortunately in this case it is simply not feasible.”
The Victoria Tower was built using a diaphragm wall technique where the access stairs are enclosed within the walls. The intermediary floors were designed as structural bracing for the tower and not as load-bearing floors for the public.
Councillor McCormick added: “The key issue is one of public safety and especially if we had to evacuate someone through illness or some other emergency. The stairway is too narrow, the stairs are irregular and steep and the windows are too small to be used as an alternative way of getting out. We have looked very carefully at all of the options but the bottom line is we cannot open the tower to the public.”
The balance of £127,000 that has been set aside for the tower project will be put towards a £450,000 refurbishment of the historic district court room in the Municipal Buildings.
In use until 2008 it will undergo extensive renovation work – including the conservation of stained glass, re-lacquering of timber panels, restoration of lime plaster and decorative cornices – before re-opening as a tourist attraction and marriage suite.
Councillor McCormick said: “This is an exciting project that will give a new lease of life to an historic part of the Municipal Buildings and I am sure it will prove extremely popular.”