A QUEST for as much as £100,000 will have to begin in Richmond soon, if its Town Hall is to continue hosting public events.

Legislation introduced by the Conservatives in 1995 - when the town's MP, William Hague, was Minister for the Disabled - means the town council has until 2004 to upgrade access to the building.

New toilets for disabled visitors and a lift, bypassing the stairs, which lead to the main meeting room, are now considered essential.

However, with no money available from Westminster to cover the cost, the local authority will be applying for grants to meet the bill, which is estimated at about £65,000.

The building's ageing boiler also needs replacing and is likely to take the overall amount up to about £100,000 - although the town council already has cash set aside to pay for a new one.

North Yorkshire County Council has indicated its support for the improvement scheme, although the town council can only apply for financial aid from other agencies once it knows planning permission has been granted.

Much therefore relies on a vote by Richmondshire District Council's planning committee some time within the next few weeks.

However, the Mayor, Councillor Tom Burrows, said yesterday he is "quietly confident" of success.

"We simply must find the money," he said.

"The town council has a long tradition of meeting in the town hall and the last thing we want to do is move out."

Options include grants from partners, such as the district and county council or Yorkshire Forward, which may offer matched funding if the town council can find money from other sources. Should the project prove successful, the toilet facilities would only be open to the wider public during usual Town Hall opening times.

However, the disabled toilet could become part of the national "Radar" initiative, which distributes keys to people with special needs to allow them 24-hour access to some public facilities.