The public is to be asked for views on what should happen to City Hall in Norwich.
Norwich City Council’s cabinet decided, at its October 16 meeting, to go ahead with a business case centred on two options for what to do with the Grade II-listed building.
A report to that meeting recommended the council stay in the building and suggested either:
- A refurbishment to provide better public access, improved council office space, Grade A lettable space and event and conference opportunities.
- Going a step further by adding an extension to the rear (which was intended in the original 1938 plans for the building), to be used for offices, homes or a hotel.
This option also proposes a new, publicly accessible, landscaped courtyard to the rear and improvements to the public spaces around City Hall.
Council Leader, Cllr Mike Stonard, said: “We’re still at an early stage and a significant part of what comes next will be gathering feedback from our residents, businesses, partners, and the voluntary and creative sectors.
“It’s vital that we hear from the people of Norwich on this so we can make the best decisions for the city about how we continue to move forward.
“We’re taking the time to plan this now and expect to be getting underway with these conversations early next year.
“We have a huge opportunity here to create a future for the building that boosts the entire city, with the potential to create up to £102 million in economic benefits, depending on the scale of the option eventually taken forward.
“These benefits for Norwich would come from creating improved amenities that attract more use and increase spending in the city over the lifetime of the development.”
The agreement to develop a business case will involve many architectural, technical, and financial reports due to its listed status.
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