Hall for Cornwall in Truro plans £17.6m redevelopment
- Published
The Hall for Cornwall wants to add 250 seats as part of a £17.6m redevelopment
A theatre is planning a £17.6m redevelopment to protect its future.
The Hall for Cornwall (HfC) in Truro wants to redesign the auditorium with the addition of 250 seats and build a new entrance, cafes and bars.
Cornwall Council members met on Tuesday to consider giving £3m to the project to be match funded from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and the European Regional Development Fund.
The venue has been breaking even and needs to expand to survive.
'Resilient and competitive'
An increase in size from 965 seats to 1,215 seats could increase annual audiences from 180,000 to 200,000 and annual profits by about £450,000 according to a report prepared by Cornwall Council, which owns the Grade II* building.
The report states HfC has "essentially been running a break-even, subsidised business model" and needs to increase annual profits by at least £400,000 "to be resilient and competitive with venues in Bristol and Plymouth".
Cornwall Council said HfC employs 90 staff and generates more than £16m per annum for the Cornish economy.
Councillors supported the £3m investment plan and a final decision will be taken by the council's cabinet in November.
The redevelopment is planned to start in late 2017 and the venue would be closed for up to 15 months for construction work.