A major repairs project to protect County Durham’s historic Pitman’s Parliament has been given the green light by council planners.
Opened in 1915, Durham Miners Hall, also known as Redhills, housed a council chamber where colliery delegates took important decisions that transformed the area.
This ranged from building homes and welfare halls to setting up community hospitals and libraries.
In recent years, a campaign was launched to save the Grade II listed building after it was revealed urgent repairs were needed.
The repairs programme also aimed to pave the way for Durham Miners’ Association’s (DMA) wider vision to create a community and arts hub on the site.
Works cover the external fabric of the building, the roof of the council chamber and chimneys alongside roof coverings, stonework, exterior plumbing and modernised electrics.
Repairs to the council chamber also include replacing sections of the roof structure affected by “dry rot.”
Following consultation, Durham County Council’s planning authority approved the plans on Wednesday, May 13.
A planning report states the building “is symbolic to the mining history of the communities of County Durham continuing to be used for its intended purpose and having been the scene of historically significant debates and speeches.”
On the planned works, it goes on to say: “Although there will be an impact on historic fabric and in some isolated areas the loss of historic fabric, it is considered that the impact overall on the designated heritage asset will be wholly positive.
“The primary benefits will be the appropriate repair and restoration, making the building fully watertight and improving its performance, tied in with new uses and sustainability of this prominent historic building as part of a larger Heritage Lottery Fund project.”
Last year, Durham County Council supported wider plans for the site, offering £1.1 million match funding to complement existing DMA fundraising.
An initial heritage lottery grant of £400,000 has since been released to prepare the restoration and renewal of the wider site, including a feasibility study and project planning and development.
The funding success also allows progress towards a second stage of heritage funding worth around £3.8 million.
Redhills was recently selected by Historic England as one of the 100 places that bring the country’s “rich and extraordinary history” to life.
A recent inspection also indicated that the building would be rendered unusable unless a full roof repair is carried out within the next five to ten years.
