The refurbishment of Norwich Castle Museum has reached at least £34m, Norfolk County Council's Strategic and Corporate Select Committee heard, with the true final cost still unknown.

Councillors were told the £34m figure represented the estimated cost to the end of March 2026, but that a number of contractual issues were still being worked through. Officers said a fuller update would be brought to members once more information was available.

The question was raised by committee members seeking clarity on the project's budgeted outturn position and the reasons behind any cost variances. No further breakdown of the contractual disputes was provided at the meeting.

Norwich Castle is one of Norfolk's most prominent heritage sites and its renovation has been a major capital project for the council. The uncertainty over the final cost comes as the authority is already grappling with a £35.9m budget gap for 2027/28 and a £148.5m shortfall projected across the medium-term financial strategy.

Councillors did not receive a projected completion date or an estimate of how much the contractual issues could add to the overall bill.