Westrock, owners of a two-storey car park next to the town hall, have proposed the development of its car park and the Town Hall site, which will also include office and civic space.

The proposals include a potential new, fit-for-purpose town hall, which would represent a significant cost saving for the council based on current running costs.

The council had originally wanted to refurbish the current town hall and rent out the unused space, but the cost of Westrock’s proposal is expected to be much lower.

“It’s very early days, but these proposals could provide a significant regeneration opportunity for the town centre and a new town hall at [a] lower cost than the refurbishment option,” stated councillor Andrew Skudder, Cabinet Member for Resources.

If plans go-ahead, then the current town hall would remain until the new town hall was ready, while work would also continue to investigate opportunities for both commercial and community sector tenants.

“We now need to investigate the viability of the proposal in detail to ensure we are getting the best deal for taxpayers,” concluded councillor Skudder.