A grant of £45,800 to Dementia-friendly Alton to allow it to improve the Alton Assembly Rooms was unanimously approved by Alton Town Council on November 1.

The charity will lease the building from January and the money, from the town council’s capital reserves, will pay for work to continue its use as a community facility.

The lower room will be redecorated and LED ceiling lights will be installed. There is also money for work on the water dispenser.

There will be redecoration of the foyer, stairs and landings, plus a new free-standing reception desk.

The kitchen will be redecorated and the cabinet doors and plinths will be replaced. There will be two new fridges, a new cooker, a new domestic-quality dishwasher and a new sliding or fixed door.

Both rear sets of toilets will be redecorated and will have new suites, floors and fittings. A damp problem will be sorted out and re-plastering will be done where necessary.

The rear hall will be re-plastered and redecorated, and will be given new lights. The rear lobby behind reception will be redecorated.

The upper room will be redecorated and will have LED ceiling lights installed, In the main hall the stage lighting will be upgraded.

None of the work is structural, so it does not need planning permission, and none of it will modify the building or alter its character to affect its listed building status.

A quote of £57,000 for all the work was received by the town council, but Screwfix gave £5,000 for the toilet refurbishment and there was £6,200 of climate change prevention money from East Hampshire District Council, leaving the town council to find £45,800 – plus a 10 per cent contingency fund.

The project will be managed by Dementia-friendly Alton so it can book work around hirings, but town council officers will approve contractors, raise orders and pay invoices. Work will begin early next year.