HOARDINGS are going up around Bradford's historic St George's Hall as a multi-million pound renovation of the venue is to begin shortly.

Preparatory works will pave the way for the contractor Henry Boot to officially start work next month.

The hoardings are currently being installed on the Drake Street side of the city centre building and cover part of the carriageway.

In addition the nearby taxi bay has been suspended, with a notice stating this will be for 56 weeks until July 2018.

Due to the location of the hoardings, there will also be no entry to Drake Street from Bridge Street for the same period.

Last month it was revealed that a contractor had been appointed to the project, but that the cost of the restoration of the key Grade II listed building had escalated by £2.8m and was now expected to cost £8.2m in total.

In addition the completion date was pushed back, with work expected to be finished towards the end of 2018.

The theatre had closed for what was described as a year-long refurbishment in March last year. The latest completion date means the hall will now be closed for around two and a half years.

A spokesman for Bradford Council confirmed that the official start date for the contractor would be July 10 and that preparatory works were being undertaken in advance of that.

Work has been taking place behind the scenes with site surveys, conservation specialists, architects, specialist seating consultants and interior designers making preparations for the project.

But following in-depth surveys into the ceilings, walls and structural supports in the bar and front of house areas, as well as the state of the stonework and electrics, more work than previously expected has been uncovered.

The project is being funded by the Council, which owns the building, and £1.5m is coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Work to be carried out includes the restoration of the sandstone exterior of the Lockwood and Mawson-designed building, as well as other improvements both inside and out, to preserve heritage features.

This will involve changes to the front of house both on the ground floor and the first floor.

A Council spokesman said last month: "This is a Grade Two listed Victorian building that is an incredibly important part of our district’s cultural heritage and it is vital that it’s restored to its former glory and can be enjoyed by local residents and visitors to our city once again."