A FULL facelift has been approved for one of World Heritage Site Saltaire’s most important buildings.

Victoria Hall will have tens of thousands spent on essential repairs and decoration to doors and window at the front, back and sides now that Bradford Council has approved plans for exterior renovations.

And in line with tough planning rules which govern ordinary properties in the historic village, everything will be done in keeping with tradition.

Owned by charity the Salt Foundation, the Grade Two* listed building is run under agreement by Shipley College. The hall’s manager, Moira Fuller, said this was vital work to keep it looking and functioning at its best.

“Contracts for the work are currently out to tender, but it will cost tens of thousands of pounds,” she said.

“This is ongoing maintenance so we will be carrying out repairs, especially to things like the window sills.

“There will be full repairs and internal and external decoration, to match that of the existing colour.

“The intention is to protect the existing doors and windows and bring these building elements back to their former glory.

“If we don’t do that the place could fall into disrepair and we must protect the beauty of the building.”

Mrs Fuller said work would be done in stages and the hope was to use a cherry picker rather than covering the hall in scaffolding.

And she stressed that repairs would be carried out rather than replacement.

“But if we have to do that then of course it will be on a like-for-like basis using exactly the same materials.

“There’s no timetable yet, but we’re heavily into the wedding season at the moment - which is a delightful time of year.

“And our next big event will be the Saltaire Festival in September when we’ll host the Arts Trail, the Makers Fair and the Vintage Fair when we will be getting thousands of people through the doors.”

Ward Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) is also a trustee of the Salt Foundation and said: “It takes an awful lot of work to keep the place in shape and it is essential to keep it in good order so that it remains commercially viable and constantly in use.

“Bradford Council has also been doing a lot in Saltaire and we have just completed putting in the new square of setts in Victoria Road outside the Hall.

Helen Thornton, Bradford Council’s World Heritage Site officer, said: “Victoria Hall is one of the village’s most important buildings along with the Mill itself and the United Reformed Church.

“It’s great that these big public buildings are being cared for, kept relevant and kept in use.”

Originally called Saltaire Institute, it was built between 1867 and 1871 for the industrialist Sir Titus Salt and cost him £25,000.