Clare’s old town hall footpath closure
The footpath and car parking in front of Clare’s Old Town Hall on Main North Road have been blocked off from pedestrian access as a safety measure.
Once the town’s main municipal building, Clare’s Old Town Hall, built in 1866, is suffering from old age and structural deficiencies.
Now privately owned, the State heritage listed building has been used for office space and is currently the venue for weekly children’s dance classes.
Scaffolding was erected in front of the building in August last year and Clare & Gilbert Valleys Council staff have met with the architects, SA Heritage and the letting agent to discuss next steps.
“The architects and engineers will, as a priority, ensure scaffolding will structurally support the tower to prevent it collapsing forward – this is a first priority,” Dr Macdonald said.
“Access to the front of the building has been closed off, and access to the dance school will only be allowed from the rear, with a physical barrier put in place between the front of the building and the rear section.”
“This will take time as it is quite a complicated process, and it is likely to be expensive for the owners – it will also require council and State Heritage approvals.
“I cannot see that the footpath will be reopened in the foreseeable future.”
“Although the risks are not imminent, they do need to be resolved,” Dr Macdonald said.