The ambition and regeneration plans for Plymouth Guildhall are to take an exciting new direction against the backdrop of a vision for 10,000 new homes in the city centre and City of Culture bid.

A review of the current programme got underway at the end of last year following the discovery of sizeable voids behind the panelling, which present a fire risk. Now the team is reimagining the ambition for the project and reframing project delivery for the much-loved listed building.

The project will be delivered in three discrete phases; review and complete the current improvement works; reset the project through addressing the complex structural and building maintenance requirements; reframe a reimagined project with delivery that responds to the new growth opportunities.

The Council will use the planned reset to redefine its vision and ambition for the Guildhall in the light of recent announcements, including proposals for 10,000 new city centre homes, and the Civic Centre regeneration..

“We have some incredible opportunities on the horizon with the City of Culture bid and the City Living Framework. This cannot just be simply a repair project but a reimagination and reinvention of the building for the future.

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet member with responsibility for assets, said: “What started out as a project to add some ‘bells and whistles’ onto existing facilities for venue hirers morphed into a more complex scheme.

“We need to think about what’s right for the people of Plymouth now, what’s right for tomorrow’s residents – particularly new city centre residents – and what’s right for Plymouth.

“We are now on a slightly different journey but I’m excited. We need to be more ambitious. The city is crying out for a high-quality large venue space – one that meets modern demands and we need to get this right so that it lasts another 70 years.”

The Council is currently exploring options on how the building will be run when it reopens as well as the market for events and other uses for this glorious building.

It has commissioned Counter Culture – whose clients include the V&A and the National Portrait Gallery – to shape the vision and future business case for the Guildhall in the context of the prospect of thousands of new residents in the city centre, whether the venue could become the go-to happening place for emerging talent and if other uses should be explored.

They will present a series of proposals to the Council which will be explored with city residents as part of a community conversation this summer.

Chris added: “There are a lot of questions which we currently do not have the answers to. We believe there is a need for a multi-use entertainment venue, but we need to do more homework, talk to comparable venues about what works and what gets bums on seats and feet dancing on the floor.”

The project is now being divided into phases. The first will see the orderly closure of the building. The Council will work with contractors and insurers to formally end the current contract, ensuring the Guildhall is safe and secure and complex paperwork around insurance liabilities and warranties of installed equipment and features are complete. This is expected to take three months.

The next phase is expected to include building fabric repairs such as replacing roofs and cracked/damaged external render. It could also include installing refurbished lifts, asbestos removal from ventilation ducting, services separation works.

The third and final phase will deliver the vision and business plan and is anticipated to include the fire strategy works such as dealing with the voids, fire doors, compartmentation and new heating and ventilation works. It will bring the vision and ambition for the Guildhall to life.  

While there is more to do, a huge amount has been achieved to transform the venue:

• The Great Hall – scaffolding, floor protection, fall protection, structural steelwork to roof for new lighting gantry frames
• Great Hall Kitchen – ceiling removed and ply installed over tiles, new kitchen ordered
• Curved ceiling at entrance repaired and decorated as well as removing plaster board ceilings and plaster repairs to existing walls
• Main entrance repair and decorated fluted timber, cleaning of marble/terrazzo walls
• First floor lobby – new bar and flooring – almost double the size of the original bar which will mean a shorter wait at intervals. It is also lower, which is good for customers who use wheelchairs. Hexagonal roof lights repaired, clean marble /terrazzo walls, repair and decorate fluted timber, new toilets installed, platform lift installed to enable better access for wheelchair users, replastered walls
• Ground floor main lobby – male and female toilets refurbished and new accessible toilets and baby change – a total of 13 toilets have been installed, heating, hot and cold water, above ground drainage, sanitary ware, air conditioning
• Lower ground floor lobby – new gender-neutral toilets, lighting, plastering walls, refurbished passenger lifts will soon be installed
• Interior general – electrical rewiring throughout, failing fire and intruder alarm systems replaced with higher specification systems and miscellaneous mechanical and electrical works
• Exterior – targeted roof replacements and windows replaced

Councillor Chris Penberthy added: “An enormous amount has been ticked off the to-do list and when the building reopens guests will have a much more pleasant experience with more and modern toilets, and a much larger bar to cut the queues in intervals. The contractors TEC have been superb, and we thank them for their work on what is effectively two listed buildings.

“This is an incredible building whose time will come again. We hope residents will be encouraged and reassured by the progress so far and seek their continued patience while we bring a renewed ambition and vision to life.”

A dated family home in Peverell has been given a new lease of life thanks to a Council incentive designed to bring empty properties back into use.

The property had been empty for nearly four years following the owner’s move to a care home before she took advantage of the Council’s Repair & Rent scheme to bring the property back into use.

The initiative is designed for people without the confidence or capacity to manage a renovation themselves and allows for an interest-free loan of up to £50,000 per unit, with 20 per cent of this is offered as a non-repayable grant.

As part of the agreement, a local estate agent manages the schedule of works, employment of trades, renovation and subsequent rental of the property.

Then, following the works, the loan is repaid from the rental income generated by the property. Repair & Rent is designed to help tackle homelessness and properties renovated through this scheme are let directly to a homeless family on the Council’s waiting list.

In this case, there were a number of issues required sorting before the house was inhabitable again, including a complete re-wiring, a new roof, and fully upgraded central heating.

As a result of the scheme, the house has now undergone a full renovation with a new bathroom and kitchen as well as some new windows, doors and carpets. A family has recently been able to move into the property.

Speaking during this year’s Empty Homes Week, a national initiative designed to shine the spotlight on a crucial issue of the current housing crisis, Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said: “The revamped and improved Repair and Rent offer to landlords is a crucial piece of weaponry in our fight against the housing crisis and I’m pleased to see it used to good affect here.

“We have a clear need for additional homes, and we need them as soon as possible. Through our empty homes strategy, set out in the Plan for Homes, we are looking at every avenue available to help bring unused properties back into occupation.

“Our housing team already works throughout the year to address some of the city’s most difficult long term empty properties. I would encourage any landlords or owners of vacant homes to contact us for guidance and support on returning their properties to productive use.”

Other empty homes initiatives available include:

Empty Homes Financial Assistance: Landlords can apply for a loan of up to £50,000 per unit, which is repaid via subsequent rental income, providing that the empty home owner undertakes to project manage the renovation themselves.

Sales Service: Our Sales Service helps empty home owners by helping to advertise their property to developers and by organising open house style viewings. Any interested parties can then put forward sealed bids within one week of the viewing. This can be a very quick and efficient option and can save estate agent fees.

More information on our empty homes team is available at plymouth.gov.uk/emptyhomes