AN EXTERIOR renovation project for Cove Burgh Hall has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

New stone and lead will be installed at the community facility, along with inspections and any necessary repairs to roof slates and gutters.

The hall plays host to several community groups and projects and is due to stage the village’s annual ale festival later this month.

The Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival, with a star-studded line-up of authors, is also due to take place in the hall in the last weekend of November.

Argyll and Bute Council’s planning committee gave the repairs the green light last week, with the application covering listed building consent.

A statement by Glasgow-based architects ZM said: “All stone works will be carried out by skilled stone masons fully conversant with masonry conservation practice. All work will be carried out using hand tools only.

“New stones will be selected following petrographic analysis. Core samples will be sent to the Scottish Lime Centre or British Geological Survey to identify suitable stone matching.

“The invasive vegetation and penetrating roots will be fully removed as part of the works with systemic weed killer and hand weeded ensuring all roots are removed to prevent regrowth.

“Moss growth on masonry will be scraped clean and cleaned down to remove all organic debris and soiling prior to treatment and re-pointing.

“Prior to carrying out any repointing works a mortar analysis will be carried out. These will be submitted to the Scottish Lime Centre who will provide a report on the existing mortar constituent parts.

“This will be used as the basis of the lime mortar specification for repointing to elevations. All new mortar work will match the location of repair in terms of colour, aggregate etc.”

On the need for lead works, the report added: “New lead sheet skew abutment and cover flashing will be carried out in minimum code six lead. It is the intention to fully encapsulate the skews in lead.

“This is because there is not sufficient depth below the cope to achieve the traditional mortar skew or Watergate detail.”

“As existing the lead detailing to the skew is generally poor and the head of the skew has been raggled for the abutment cover flashing.”

“This creates a continuous sky facing joint susceptible to be being washed out and source for water ingress. The sky facing joints between the skews has a lead cap covering. The existing lead detailing is poor.”

It is anticipated that subject to funding, the work will commence in springtime 2019 and will cause minimal disruption to hall activities.