West Norfolk Council has agreed to forge ahead with an ambitious project which it hopes will breathe new life into Lynn’s historic Guildhall.
The aim is to turn the UK’s oldest working theatre into an internationally-significant cultural heritage centre, boosting the local economy and creating more than 100 new jobs.
At a full council meeting yesterday, Thursday, members agreed to earmark funding required to allow main works to start this autumn, with the site reopening in 2028.
The King Street complex is set to be “sensitively preserved and enhanced” as a local, regional and international centre for arts, creativity and theatre for everyone to enjoy, as the flagship scheme of the Lynn Town Deal regeneration programme, a council statement said following the meeting.
The transformational Guildhall and Creative Hub project will see the medieval venue, empty buildings and courtyards revived as “inspiring, welcoming spaces, creating a heritage destination, new food and drink offer, home for creative industries and year-round programme of performances, events and education programmes”.
The council estimates the major project will add an estimated £30.8m to the economy and create 117 jobs over the first 15 years, by promoting the town’s heritage and its links to William Shakespeare, “supporting new and existing creative businesses, while remaining a facility for the whole community to enjoy”.
“Over the last year, project scope and ambition have expanded to include safety and accessibility improvements in King Street (subject to planning permission), a multi-million-pound investment in environmental resilience and sustainability, more public space and office space, and an extra outdoor performance area,” the council release said.
Costs of the project have spiralled and councillors have asked officers to continue exploring significant external investment opportunities, both nationally and internationally, to add to £10.1m in total from the Government’s Town Deal.
This is on top of funding from the Norfolk and Norwich Festival and from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund for the learning and engagement programme, involving visitors and local young people in the building through special events, exhibitions and tours.
The meeting heard that major fundraising efforts are paying off, with a grant recently confirmed towards the roof restoration work by an external funder with “positive discussions” continuing around other opportunities.
Cllr Simon Ring, deputy council leader and cabinet member for business, said: “This final go-ahead is great news for King’s Lynn and the whole of Norfolk, because what St George’s will bring for our residents, young people, economy and creative scene are opportunities truly unique, inspiring and profound, that only the Guildhall can offer.
“King’s Lynn will have at its heart an international visitor attraction and a space for our whole community, irrespective of age, gender or background, bringing new jobs, improved facilities, training and education activities, enhancement to green space, new office and workspaces for creative industries and substantial uplifts in visitor footfall to the town and wider region.
“I have welcomed informed, measured discussions around the Guildhall, because we only get to do this once and must get it right first time. And yes this is a major investment.
“I congratulate full council for also recognising its significant benefits and having the self-confidence to see through what we started as a priority project for West Norfolk, even when costs rose as we sought to get the most from this historic site for our people and place.
“Preserving the past and creating an exciting future, this decision puts us in a much stronger position in our discussions to secure further external funding and allows us to move ahead with our exciting vision – ‘to be great in act as we have been in thought’, as the Bard himself might say. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to getting us to this bold new horizon.”
Zach Stanford, the project champion on King’s Lynn Neighbourhood Board, added: “We welcome the council’s continued commitment and support for the Board’s highest priority project in the Town Deal and the benefits it will unlock for our residents, creative and aspiring entrepreneurs and the local economy through strategically important investment in what will be a rejuvenated cultural quarter for King’s Lynn.”
The approval comes just a week after Cllr Ring warned that assets could be sold off to cover borrowing millions of pounds to pay for the £30m revamp project with the council needing to borrow an estimated £16m.
At the time, Cllr Ring said there were still many opportunities through grant and potential philanthropic funding and that officers were doing some “fantastic work” in identifying capital assets.
There have been several discoveries at the Guildhall of its potential links with William Shakespeare including floor boards which it is believed the Bard may have trodden on.
The Guildhall site closed temporarily to the public in February ahead of the main contract to allow the removal of the existing theatre above the medieval floor and more archaeology work to take place.
It recently re-opened for a few weeks to give the public chance to see some of the new discoveries – this being the largest 15th century timber floor which is still open for viewing until July 31. Visitors can take a look before it is covered for future preservation and safety.
