Preston Guild Hall: too small, too big or just right for the city?

Political leaders have set out competing plans for how to bring a major entertainment venue back to Preston - seven years after the main performance spaces in the Guild Hall last welcomed an audience.

The city’s politicians were asked what they thought the next steps should be for the iconic attraction - refurbishment or replacement. They were also probed on their visions for the size of any new venue that does ultimately emerge.

It came during a hustings debate ahead of the local elections for Preston City Council on 7th May, at which a panel of five representatives of those parties that are standing in all 16 seats up for grabs at the polls were quizzed on a range of issues.

The Guild Hall closed in May 2019 at the start of what became a protracted legal battle over its future.

When that hurdle was finally cleared in 2023 - and with the attraction set to open its doors again later that year - it was discovered that the main Grand Hall and Charter Theatre areas had been constructed with so-called ‘crumbling concrete’, which could collapse without warning at the end of its lifespan.

In March this year, following a lengthy investigation, the ruling Labour group resolved to spend the next 12 months pursuing what they described as a “twin-track approach” - of assessing renovation costs for the existing building, while also exploring whether funding could be raised for a brand new replacement venue. The Liberal Democrat official group said the focus should be solely on the latter.

This is what all of Preston’s main political parties had to say on the subject at the hustings event, which was co-hosted by the Lancashire Post, Local Democracy Reporting Service, Blog Preston and Lancashire Lead (presented in the order they spoke):

AVERY GREATOREX, Preston Green Party chair

“If it is not viable to repair it, I believe it is more important for us to have a cultural hub…where artists can thrive, where musicians [and] performers can thrive. I can’t make a full commitment on that, because I think that depends on what comes out of the analysis [of the options].

“[But] we're not going to get international artists coming to Preston anytime soon, because that kind of thing requires years…of reputation building over time…so we're not going to build these huge venues. I'm in favour of grassroots artists…who are just starting out, so that Preston can be the city [that] enables… that can make these people thrive, that can bring them to those international stages. We don't need an arena in Preston necessarily.”

STEPHEN THOMPSON, Reform UK councillor, Preston City Council

“The Guild Hall was a fantastic venue - but the problem that kept coming up is that it’s not big enough to get the big acts in there. So we need somewhere bigger. And you can say, let's [create] smaller [venues], [but] there’s a number of small venues that you could use [already].

“I think really what you need to do, if you're going to look at this as a community building for Preston that puts on shows etc….[is] to have a report done. Let’s do a study on it and find out exactly what we can have, how much it will cost - and look at it that way rather than just hav[ing] these ideas floating around.”

JOHN POTTER, Liberal Democrat main opposition group leader, Preston City Council

“The Guild Hall’s had a problem where it fell between two stools - it was too large to be niche and too small to do the big-ticket items. Whatever we think about the Guild Hall and its value…that concrete inside there has got a life cycle…which is coming to an end. That is the fact of it.

“We've talked a lot about music and shows, but actually, what thriving cities have is a conference venue…where you can have modular design so you can accommodate smaller shows, but then also larger conferences as well. And when you do that, it brings in masses of money into a city centre by people going to a conference, spending money on hotels and restaurants and shops. This is why the Lib Dems, before anybody else, put forward the idea of a feasibility study…[because] we do need to know what comes next after the Guild [Hall]. “Politicians keep on doing short-termist decisions.”

MATTHEW BROWN, Labour ruling group leader, Preston City Council

“I think we're [taking] a very pragmatic approach. We want to ideally have a new venue; however, we don't know if we can attract the investment that’s needed.

So at the same time, we’re looking at a refurbished Preston Guild Hall. I think having a refurbished…niche, modern [venue] could be really good for our community. Because what we don't want to do is finally put the Guild Hall into a bunch of rubble…and then instead of getting an entertainment venue, the private sector doesn't invest and we end up with something like office space.

“So we're not going to risk a cultural asset - we're not going to risk cultural vandalism - by taking any option off the table. My personal preference would be a new venue. However, I do think that a second-best option - that would be pretty good if we could do it in a way that's very unique - is having a refurbished Guild Hall, because there is a lot of support [for] it from within the community.”

HARRY LANDLESS, Conservative group leader, Preston City Council

“I can’t wave a magic wand and say I can definitely see [the investment needed for a new venue] forthcoming - but that is one of the options that we have to pursue. I do agree to a point with Matthew that we've got to do something with the existing Guild Hall, to keep it going while we weigh up the options [and] we look into how we go forward.

“And if we want to build a new venue, the hardest job is finding funding whether it’s public money or whatever - that's going to pay to build a much bigger and more professional venue. I’m all in favour of...a feasibility study, but I think [a new venue] is a long time off.”