PLANS to illuminate the town hall at Marlborough at night have been approved by town councillors, for an estimated cost of £7,000.

On Monday, architect Malcolm Ward from Humberts, who is supervising the current town hall external refurbishment, showed members of the recreation and amenities committee a lighting scheme for the hall.

Councillors accepted the scheme to use transformed low-voltage lights to illuminate the faade of the building and a light in the cupola on the roof to provide what Mr Ward called a gentle glow.

The lights would cost about £3,300, said Mr Ward, who estimated that with fitting costs the total bill would come to about £7,000.

He commented: "That is possibly more than you envisaged."

The council was told by Coun David Parker that the Marlborough Area Development Trust was no longer able to give £1,500 towards the lighting scheme because it had to use the money to cover a shortfall in administration costs.

Coun Richard Allen said that under the council's standing orders any schemes costing more than £2,500 had to go out to tender for rival estimates.

Mr Ward said there would be a saving in installation costs if the wiring for the lights could be installed while the scaffolding is in place for the town hall redecoration.

Coun Graham Francis, mayor-elect, said: "We should get the cabling fitted while the scaffolding is up."

It was agreed that Mr Ward and town clerk Graham Gittins should seek tenders as a matter of urgency in the hope that the wiring can be installed before the scaffolding comes down in May.

Councillors accepted Mr Ward's proposal that the lights would be fitted from a hydraulic platform once the scaffolding was down to avoid them being damaged during the removal operation.

Committee chairman Hilary Cripps said: "I know it sounds quite a lot of money after what we are spending on the town hall."

But she said that to attract more users so that the town hall paid for itself, it was essential to make it as attractive as possible.

She said the estimated cost of the lighting was more than covered by savings made in the recreation budget by the town clerk.