Buxton's iconic Octagon Hall set to reopen in May

It has been closed to the public since 2015 after the historic hall’s roof was found to be unsafe.

Now after nearly three years of work costing £3m, the completion date is now scheduled for the end of April - and not mid-March as originally planned

Councillor Tony Kemp, executive councillor for tourism and regeneration, said: “Work has been progressing well behind the scenes and, whilst this date is several weeks later than we initially hoped for, it is not at all unexpected with projects such as this on historic buildings which, by their very nature, can throw up significant challenges.”

No other major faults have been discovered during the project, which has seen workers with ‘rare and unique skills’ recruited to carry out detailed repairs.

Coun Kemp said: “We are very excited to be nearing completion and looking forward to reopening and sharing the results of this significant investment with our residents, visitors and customers. In the meantime, we’re planning celebrations to mark the reopening of Octagon Hall and the launch events targeted to take place in May.”

High Peak Borough Council has invested £3 million to upgrade, repair and secure the future of the historic Octagon.

The iconic building had to be closed to the public in 2015 when remote camera surveys showed major potential safety issues in the roof, partly caused by poor quality repairs undertaken in the 1950s. Since then significant structural repairs to the famous Octagon dome, replacement of the floor and the supporting sub-structure have all been completed.

Despite the delayed opening, events will be held from next month on the Promenade and in the atrium adjacent to the coffee bar until the Octagon re-opens.

As planned, the Gardens Marquee has now been removed and the Promenade is more accessible to the public.