A STRING of snags which have dogged a restoration project at a Ryedale landmark are to come under the spotlight next week.

Councillors will discuss why work on repairing the roof and stonework at the former Malton Town Hall hit delays and look at how it can now be pushed forward following biting criticism about the hold-ups.

The roofing aspect of refurbishing the building, which houses Malton Museum, is not now expected to restart until the spring following a fresh tendering exercise, while stonework repairs may be put on ice until next autumn because of confusion over how much they will cost.

A report, which will go before Ryedale District Council’s overview and scrutiny committee next Thursday, has revealed a conservation architect estimated the cost of fixing chimney stacks and the building’s bell tower would be around £30,000 – but the quotations received ranged from £84,600 to £128,433.

The authority says it will try to keep costs down by looking at whether scaffolding required for both stages of the scheme can be shared by the companies responsible.

David Summers, the council’s property manager, said in the report problems with the former town hall’s roof were first spotted in the 1990s, but the need for repairs intensified in 2007 when more tiles started slipping.

The restoration work was approved last November and re-roofing tenders were received, but concerns over whether the lowest offer was “valid” led to work being delayed.

Mr Summers said: “Simultaneously, the significant cost from the stonework had been evaluated, and it was clear there was insufficient financial provision within the budget to award the two elements of the scheme.

“The intention is to re-tender the roofing works in early 2010, with a view to starting works on site in spring. With regard to the stonework, clearly the first set of quotations are substantially outside the estimate suggested by the conservation architect.

“The architect has revised the scope of works originally proposed and these will be tendered after the roofing tenders are known.”

He said the original budget for the project – delays on which were recently branded “unacceptable” by Malton town councillors – was £145,000, of which £7,270 had since been spent on fees and advertising, while a protective hoarding around the site was costing £122 a month.