The news that the much delayed work to the Winter Garden roof in Ilkley is due to be completed next year has been greeted with cautious enthusiasm by the chairman of the Friends of the King’s Hall group.

Jim Horsley said: “It has been going to happen for so long now – I hope it does happen.”

The work was due to start in August 2007 but was repeatedly put off until the first selected contractor for the £250,000 project decided to pull out in April this year.

Many local events, including Ilkley Flower Show and the Wharfedale Festival of Performing Arts were forced to seek alternative venues because the work was due to be taking place at the same time.

There are now fears that because of the delays and uncertainty surrounding the venue, some of those events will not come back to the Winter Garden. Because the original contractor pulled out, Bradford Council officials had to go back to the drawing board and negotiate changes to the plans with the heritage office and planning bosses. Officials at English Heritage were also consulted over the changes. Now a new tender invitation is expected to go out before the end of this month.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “Earlier in the year, the roof repair works to the Winter Gardens did not proceed due to the inability of the sole supplier of the specified and specialist glazing bars to undertake the contract.

“It was necessary to re-negotiate with planning on the form of the roof glazing bars to allow for the field to be opened up to the proprietary systems of more contractors.

“The profile and sections have now been approved by the heritage officer and planning. The change of profile was found to necessitate some reworking of the drawings, specification and structural detailing. This has been done and the documentation is ready to go out to tender.

“The tender documents have gone out in the week commencing November 3 and the final selection will be in the last week in November.

“The works will be commencing on site next March/April to avoid the worst of the winter weather and should take eight to ten weeks.”

Mr Horsley said the complex would look much better with the outside scaffolding removed and the inside netting taken down, once the refurbishment has taken place.

The netting had been put up to safeguard patrons against falling glass but Mr Horsley said that so far none had worked loose.

“As far as I know, it is perfectly safe but I am glad something is happening,” said Mr Horsley.

The Friends of the King’s Hall group was formed in 2000 to help access charity funding for refurbishment at the complex on Station Road.