Security is being stepped up at Preston Guild Hall and surrounding buildings due to them becoming popular with urban explorer influencers.
Videos posted in recent months show individuals gaining entry, illegally, to the Grand Hall and Charter Theatre which remain mothballed due to uncertainty around the building’s future as a venue.
Preston City Council say security at the building, and others across what’s known as the Harris Quarter, is being increased to ensure individual properties are protected as well as staff working in and around the buildings.
Read more: Government rejects criticism of how it has handled calls to support future of Preston Guild Hall
It is not just council-owned buildings being targeted but also privately-owned buildings within the area around the Guild Hall.
A city council spokesperson confirmed criminal damage had taken place in recent weeks, due to vandals accessing buildings alongside them becoming a magnet for those looking to post urban exploration videos on TikTok and other platforms.
Cabinet member for arts and culture, councillor Anna Hindle, told Blog Preston: The Great Hall and the Charter Theatre at the Guild Hall may be currently closed but the Guild Lounge is very much open for business and open to the public for an extended events programme.
“We have a full rota of staff working in the property, carrying out repairs and routine maintenance getting the Guild Lounge ready for events. It is our number one priority to keep members of staff safe from break-ins and threats of violence.
“The city council is helping Lancashire Constabulary with its investigation and taking action to ensure that all reports of suspicious or anti-social behaviour are logged and the perpetrators identified quickly.”
Earlier this year we reported how the main entrance to the Guild Hall Arcade was being shuttered and security removed, to reduce costs, with the remaining business – Carol May’s Dance Academy – advised to use a side entrance at Wards End instead. The dance academy later confirmed they are relocating from the Guild Hall in September.
Blog Preston has contacted Lancashire Police for comment regarding what steps they were taken – as they recently trumpeted figures showing a decrease in anti-social behaviour in the city centre. No response was received by the time of publication.
Anyone who has information regarding trespass, vandalism or anti-social behaviour in the city centre, especially in and around the Guild Hall, should call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
The city’s main venue has been closed since 2019 first due to a legal battle with the former private owner, triggered when the council took back control, and a re-opening plan in 2023 was scuppered when reinforced aerated concrete (RAAC) was uncovered in the roof of both venues. In 2024 the Guild Lounge, in the foyer of the building, was re-opened as a temporary venue and has recently been relaunched with a new programme of events.
A ‘twin-track’ approach, with consultants producing a feasibility study for a venue in Preston, is in process with a decision due over whether the venue will be repaired or rebuilt, due later this year. Initial estimates put a new venue at somewhere between £60million-£100million.
Preston City Council is facing increasing pressure for a major venue in the city – with arts groups, MPs, theatre groups, business groups and more all joining calls for Preston Guild Hall’s future to be resolved.
