£5.7m plan to transform Penrith Town Hall into community and events hub moves forward
Plans for a £5.7 million transformation of Penrith Town Hall have taken a major step forward.
Westmorland and Furness Council’s cabinet has approved an outline business case to turn the Grade II-listed building into a creative and community hub.
The plans include a performance venue, community rooms, youth facilities, offices and a café. A final decision on the project is expected later this year.
What could be created inside the town hall?
Under the preferred proposal, the building would include:
- A flexible performance and events space with between 100 and 120 seats.
- Creative and community rooms.
- Rehearsal and education areas for performing arts.
- Youth and digital creative spaces.
- A café and bar.
- A commercial kitchen that could also serve as a community kitchen.
- Digital skills and innovation facilities.
- Offices and meeting rooms available to rent.
The council will also begin a formal consultation on whether Penrith and Eden Museum should move into the refurbished town hall.
Project expected to cost around £5.7m
The current estimated cost of the project is around £5.74 million.
Funding would include money from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the Borderlands Place Programme.
The town hall project formed part of the wider Inspiring Eden programme, which received £7.09 million in government funding.
Cabinet papers show that around £5.06 million of the available Local Regeneration Fund money could be used for the town hall scheme.
A further £2.03 million would remain ring-fenced for investment elsewhere within the former Eden district area.
Former Barclays enterprise hub plan dropped
The council had also planned to transform the former Barclays bank at 2-3 Market Square into an enterprise hub.
However, this part of the Inspiring Eden programme will no longer go ahead.
Council officers concluded that the building’s running costs and wider financial pressures made the project financially unsustainable.
Deputy council leader Councillor Andrew Jarvis said continuing with the Barclays scheme would expose the authority to an “unacceptable financial risk”.
The remaining regeneration funding can now be redirected towards the town hall and other projects in the Eden area.
Building left vacant after council office move
Penrith Town Hall covers around 11,200 sq ft and was previously used as council office space.
It became vacant after staff and services moved to the refurbished Voreda House in Penrith.
The council believes reopening the building as a public venue would protect an important historic asset while supporting local culture, community groups and businesses.
Councillor Helen Chaffey, cabinet member for communities, customer services, culture and communications, said the building had “so much to offer the community”.
She said the project provided an opportunity to create something with “real and lasting benefits”.
Hundreds took part in consultation
Early engagement found strong public support for bringing the town hall back into use.
A four-week consultation held between September and October 2025 received 456 online survey responses and included 80 face-to-face conversations.
A total of 116 suggestions were collected. The main themes were community use, arts and creativity, enterprise, heritage and culture.
What happens next?
Council officers will now prepare a full business case containing more detailed plans, costs and operating arrangements.
The final business case is due to return to the cabinet in December 2026.
The council also plans to begin the process of appointing a design and build contractor. A separate decision would be needed before the first design and enabling works contract is awarded.
