£15m boost for Festival Hall

Around £15 million of lottery cash was today awarded to help pay for the refurbishment of the South Bank's "jewel in the crown" - the Royal Festival Hall.

This morning ' s announcement, by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will leave a shortfall of £5 million in the projected £54 million cost of revitalising the decaying concert hall.

However, insiders are confident the total sum will be raised by the time work begins in 2005.

Now pressure is mounting on South Bank chairman Lord Hollick to justify his appointment and come up with a workable scheme to redevelop the entire 27-acre site.

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell gave the Labour peer a strict deadline to deliver his strategy.

He has until the end of next month - but, rather than agonising over his plans, Lord Hollick is understood to be enjoying a holiday in Chile.

His recently appointed chief executive, Michael Lynch, hailed the lottery award an "important milestone" in the redevelopment of the Royal Festival Hall.