Preston City Council says it wants to establish whether the Guild Hall has a future before embarking on any ambitions to build a new arena venue.
It comes after the authority’s cabinet member for culture floated the idea of a brand new facility as possibly being the “next big project” for Preston.
While stressing that any such proposal would have to be “viable”, Cllr Anna Hindle said in a recent interview with The Lancashire Lead that the city was “super ambitious” – especially with the next Preston Guild slowly hoving into view in 2032.
Preston has been without a flagship entertainment space for more than five years since the shock closure of the Guild Hall in May 2019 amid the collapse of the company then operating it. A subsequent legal wrangle – after the council retook control of a building it had owned for 30 years following its opening in 1973 – kept the doors closed for the following four years.
The dispute was eventually resolved in 2023, but just as plans were put in place to start hosting events again late last year, it emerged that the roofs above the main event areas – the Grand Hall and Charter Theatre – were likely to contain the material dubbed “crumbling concrete”, which can collapse without warning.
The discovery thwarted the reopening plans and the future of the venue still remains uncertain. However, a smaller event space – known as the Guild Lounge – did open within a safe part of the building back in October and has a programme of events running though until next spring.
But on the prospect of a new arena, a town hall spokespersonsaid the focus remains firmly on the Guild Hall for now.
They said: “A new arena for Lancashire, based in Preston, would be fantastic and is something that we are willing to consider – however, it is too early to make any commitment to such a project.
“Our priority at the moment remains the Guild Hall and whether we can viablely reopen it fully as a premier cultural venue for the city. The site is a complex one and work is progressing.
“To date, work has comprised asbestos removal in the roof area, followed by installation of internal scaffolding so that the roof could be inspected safely. These works are now complete and we await the report from the structural engineers as that will inform what our next steps will be.
“An arena scheme in Preston would be an ambitious undertaking and we would have to look at a variety of options across the city that could house a multi-purpose, meaningful venue that is suitable for modern uses.
“We would need to thoroughly explore all options and be open to offers, as a project of this scale would need considerable public/private collaboration and investment, with the right proposals and vision. Any new arena would need to be financially viable and work alongside existing venues in the city and across Lancashire.
“We have proven our ability again this year to host successful large-scale events in the city with BBC Radio 2 in the Park and have shown that we can cater for a mass audience. Preston has excellent connectivity by road and rail and it would be great if we could strengthen the city’s cultural heritage and leave a lasting legacy as part of the next Guild celebrations in 2032,” the spokesperson added.
The city council’s Liberal Democrat opposition group leader John Potter has also previously suggested the time may have come to look to a long-term future without the Guild Hall – whatever its immediate prospects may hold – because of the finite lifespan of the now half-a-century-old building.