A GRANT of £55,000 awarded to Stockton Borough Council, plus £19,000 of its own money, will be used to develop a conservation plan for Thornaby Old Town Hall and extension.

The project planning grant was awarded this month from the Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure that restoration plans for the Grade II-listed building, built in 1892, will guarantee a sustainable future for the building.

On its completion in May, the conservation plan will enable the council to put together a funding package which will include grant applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, and will generate private sector interest