WEDDINGS and events have had to be moved after it was discovered vital repair works are needed in Colchester's historic Moot Hall. 

Essential maintenance work will be carried out on the ceiling of the room in the Grade I listed Town Hall. 

Work will be carried out in early 2023 with ceiling plaster near the balcony fixed. 

Plasterwork will need to be removed and replaced with like-for-like traditional lath and plaster.

The Moot Hall will need to close for the works but the rest of the Town Hall will remain open. 

The hall is a popular wedding and corporate hire venue and all bookings have had to be moved to an alternative location during the works. 

Colchester Events has contacted any hirers of Moot Hall who are impacted. 

Colchester Council has a legal duty to ensure it is maintained and preserved in a good state of repair.

The council said it had been "many years" since repairs had been needed in this part of the Town Hall. 

Some paintings currently on display in Moot Hall, including the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Richard Stone, have been temporarily removed by specialists from Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service and safely stored until they can be re-hung once repairs have been completed.

The chimes of the Town Hall clock have also been temporarily switched off, to prevent vibrations from further damaging the area of plasterwork.

Mark Cory, portfolio holder for resources, said: “We are fortunate to have at the heart of our civic life one of the best examples of late-Victorian municipal architecture in the country.

"This repair is essential as part of our ongoing maintenance of Colchester Town Hall.

“Given the cultural significance of the Town Hall, and in line with expert advice, the work will help maintain the building for many more years to come.”

The cost of the repair is unknown at this time and will be carried out by a specialist contractor in consultation with English Heritage.