Hotel among options considered for City Hall site

Council leader Mike Stonard said it needed to make sure City Hall was fit for the future

City Hall in Norwich could be partly turned over for event hire or have an extension built for a hotel under options being considered for the city centre landmark.

Norwich City Council, which has been based in the building overlooking the market since 1938, would remain on site - with plans put forward for its additional use.

The Grade II*-listed building could be refurbished to include lettable conference space, with the option of also adding an extension to the back for a hotel, offices or flats.

Labour council leader Mike Stonard said: "Our stunning building has so much to love, and we need to not only make sure it’s fit for the future but make the most of our cherished asset for the city."

“We are in the early stages of that journey and now have some viable options we can consider taking to the next stage of exploration and design," he added.

“The strategic outline case to re-imagine City Hall has identified the potential for up to £102m in economic benefits, depending on the scale of the option taken forward.

“This could be a huge opportunity for the council to create a future for the building that has far wider benefits for the city.

“We also know we must make best use of the building to provide inclusive and accessible services and allow council colleagues to work in a more open and modern way."

The council added that City Hall had been built with 1940s-style office work in mind, with much of its work now conducted online while the building cost £2m a year to maintain.

Venue hire - including weddings - would create a revenue stream for the council, but it is not yet known how it could benefit financially from the full scheme, it added.

The multi-million pound economic benefits to the city were calculated based on the lifetime of all additional uses, and included factors like the subsequent tourist spend in Norwich, a spokesman said.

"We would want to gather ideas and thoughts on the transformation of the building and are clear that if work progresses consultation will be vital to making the right decisions for the city, " added Stonard.

The plans are due to be discussed at a scrutiny committee meeting on 10 October.