The vision to open up Penrith Town Hall to complement and boost the town's cultural and creative sectors has taken a major step forward.
Cabinet today agreed the outline business case and progression of the town hall to a full business case later this financial year – creating an asset which will be well and widely used and Penrith can be proud of.
Proposed in the outline business case are:
- A flexible 100–120 seat performance and event space;
- Flexible creative and community spaces;
- Performance, rehearsal and education space for performing arts and community use;
- Youth and creative digital space provision;
- A café/bar and commercial kitchen to be run as a community kitchen;
- Digital skills and innovation spaces; and
- Rentable office and meeting space.
Formal consultation will also begin on a proposal to move Penrith and Eden Museum service into the refurbished town hall.
A detailed "full business case" will now be drawn up and brought back to Cabinet in December for final approval.
Councillor Helen Chaffey, Cabinet Member for Communities, Customer Services, Culture and Communications, said: "Penrith Town Hall is a beautiful building with so much to offer the community. We have a wonderful opportunity to create something with real and lasting benefits. We have spent considerable time listening to groups and organisations tell us their views and aspirations for it to be a vibrant, community-focused facility that complements and enhances the wider cultural offer across Eden.
"We see the hub as an inclusive and inspiring space for people of all ages to be supported in their creative development and pursuits, and where self-expression is encouraged.
"I am delighted that we have reached this stage in the journey and look forward to seeing the plans take shape and develop into a detailed scheme. What we have agreed today will give the very best return on this grant, which would have to be returned if not used for this project, and create an asset which Penrith can be proud of."
Members also agreed not to take forward the Eden Enterprise Hub project.
Since funding was approved, the financial position has changed significantly over this period, with the council facing continued pressure on budgets due to the Government’s Fair Funding Review, rising costs, and growing demand for essential services.
Due to the forecast costs associated with the 2–3 Market Square building, the Enterprise Hub would be likely to require significant continued financial support from the council. Cabinet agreed that the hub project was not financially sustainable in the long term.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last year approved a Local Regeneration Fun grant for £7.09m for the Inspiring Eden project – encompassing the creative and community hub and an Enterprise Hub at 2-3 Market Square
The outline budget for the town hall is estimated at £5.740m, subject to the full business case outcome.
With £500,000 from the Borderlands Place Programme also contributing to the Creative and Community Hub, up to £2.03 million of the funding originally allocated for the enterprise hub will support other regeneration priorities in Penrith and Eden.
Westmorland and Furness Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Assets, Councillor Andrew Jarvis, said: "These are unprecedented times for local government finance, with more pressure than ever before on our budgets. The original Enterprise Hub concept was strong. But the financial environment has changed and the revenue pressures associated with the Barclays building make the Enterprise Hub scheme financially unsustainable. Continuing would expose the council to unacceptable financial risk.
"We do understand the need for economic support in Penrith and the Eden locality and so have allocated more than £2 million to support this sector in other ways. We look forward to working with partners and stakeholders to identify the most effective and efficient ways of using this money to benefit businesses."