Westmorland readies for £5.7m Penrith Town Hall overhaul
Summary
Westmorland and Furness Council has approved an outline business case to repurpose the grade II-listed Penrith Town Hall from office use into a community and events hub. The £5.7m scheme would create flexible event, performance, youth, creative and innovation spaces, with a full business case due to be considered in December.
Why it matters
The project involves the adaptation of a listed civic building, which may raise survey, conservation and refurbishment considerations for professionals working on public-sector reuse schemes. It also reflects how local authorities are reallocating Levelling Up funding in response to changing financial pressures and viability concerns.
Key points
- Penrith Town Hall is proposed to be converted from offices into mixed community and events uses.
- The building is grade II-listed, so heritage-sensitive works are likely to be required.
- The council has abandoned plans to use the Levelling Up Fund for the former Barclays Bank building.
- A full business case for the £5.7m project is due to go before cabinet in December.
- The council says the original enterprise hub plan is now financially unsustainable.
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