CONCERNS have been raised over damage allegedly being done to the front of a grade-II listed building. 

The front of Trowbridge Town Hall - which is set to undergo a £8m renovation over the next two years - is circled by wiring for Christmas lights. 

These wires are held up by nails, potentially damaging the stonework. 

It comes after scaffolding around the building was removed, following exterior renovations.  

Chairman of the Trowbridge Civic Society Glyn Bridges said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the scaffolding was removed. If you look at the detail, it’s terrible.

"What were our conservation officers doing? It’s a grade two listed building and they’re causing damage to the stonework.

"There shouldn’t be things nailed to the front like that. Why was the wire left hanging?”

However Alan Wright Director of Trowbridge Town Hall rejected the claims and added that the lead architect had assured him the contractors will be carefully removing the cables and their fixtures in the coming weeks.

Steeplejack Paul Silk said that when nails rust, they can expand and crack the stone and that water expanding as it becomes ice around the nails can also break the stone.  

But Cabinet Member for Strategic Assets Phil Alford said the recent works were only done to fix some dangerous masonry and to make the roof watertight.

He added the building is going to be subject to extensive refurbishment and remodelling as part of the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) £16 million investment in Trowbridge and these works will address the issues raised by the Trowbridge Civic Society.

However, Mr Bridges added: “They’ve spent tens or even hundreds of thousands without attending to the detail.

"It’s another example of public money just being chucked at a project.

"The whole façade hasn’t been cleaned properly. I’m really not happy and when they moved the scaffolding, they left all the gunge on the pavement.”

He added that there were other failings of the recent external renovations and said there are ornate lamps that could’ve been put up and restored along with large-stone balls about a foot in diameter that were on the far-left of the façade and they could have been reattached but weren’t.

Instead, he said they have been left in the basement of the building.

Mr Bridges complained that “this would have been a pin prick compared to the £8 million grant” that will be used to improve the interior of the building under the new High Street Fund.