Paisley Museum redevelopment costs rise by a further £4.5m

Councillors have agreed a £4.5m cash injection for the ongoing redevelopment of Paisley Museum in Renfrewshire.  

The project has been hit by a series of delays caused by construction problems and soaring inflation. The latest rise follows a £12.5m increase from Renfrewshire Council last year and brings the total budget to £68.7m, £24m higher than initially forecast in 2019.  

The latest rise, confirmed earlier this month, is intended to mitigate against financial claims made by the project’s building contractor, Kier Construction, for which the council could be found “partially liable”.  

A council spokesman told Museums Journal that the council had now “come to a resolution with Kier and there is no need for any formal adjudication process”. 

A report on the project last year outlined “significantly worse than anticipated” construction issues, include a range of “unforeseen defects” found in the historic museum building such as dry rot, asbestos and extensive plasterwork repairs. 

The redevelopment was also “significantly impacted by the pandemic construction shut down, subsequent restricted working conditions, and labour and materials shortages in the period following the pandemic”, the report said, which resulted in “extreme levels of construction cost inflation which is only recently beginning to moderate”.   

“As this is the first major transformation in the museum’s 150-year history, a number of unforeseen challenges have emerged during construction – as is the case with many major capital projects involving historic buildings,” a council spokesman told Museums Journal.  

“All required surveys were carried out in advance, but since work began the contractor has encountered unrecorded changes and adaptations which have taken place over the previous decades. This has led to additional work in areas such as the various roofs, building structure, lighting, asbestos including removal and on utilities.” 

The council announced earlier this year that the museum’s opening would be postponed until the second half of 2026. 

A joint statement from Renfrewshire Council and OneRen, the trust that manages the council's cultural offer, said: “Due to the extended programme and additional costs, claims were made by the main contractor and the budget was increased to manage this risk. These claims have been resolved and costs will be met through existing resources and requires no further borrowing related to the project. 

“When complete, the refurbished museum will be an outstanding visitor destination that celebrates Paisley’s rich heritage, its globally recognised pattern, and the inspirational stories of its people. The museum will showcase our internationally significant collections within a transformed campus that has been carefully restored and modernised to provide a venue that we can be proud of now and for generations to come.” 

The reopened museum is expected to attract 125,000 annual visits to the Scottish town. 

New features will include an entrance courtyard and red glazed entrance hall, a new wing for galleries, dedicated learning spaces and accessible features such as lifts and ramps, as well as exhibition spaces co-curated with local communities.