The multi-million pound refurbishment of Stephenson Memorial Hall – which will create a cultural venue in the heart of Chesterfield town centre – is progressing at pace.
Representatives from Chesterfield Borough Council were provided with a behind-the-scenes tour to review progress and see how work to transform the building has been progressing.
Midlands construction firm, G F Tomlinson, took control of the site last year and has been working to achieve the ambitious plans which include creating a single entrance to both facilities, an expanded theatre, a reconfigured museum, community spaces and a new café bar.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The building has changed dramatically since December 2023 and the work so far is starting to show how this building will feel when it is completed.
“I’m excited to welcome residents and visitors back to this venue once it is completed and think it will be a truly spectacular experience that we can all be proud of.
“This is an ambitious project for our borough and there is a lot of hard work still to do, but it will create a truly unique building where residents and visitors can experience culture and learn about the history of our borough.”
Adrian Grocock, Group Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re pleased with how works are progressing for the delivery of the multi-million-pound sensitive refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Stephenson Memorial Hall and you can really see the pivotal stages taking place to breathe new life into the Corporation Street site.
“Once complete, the landmark state-of-the-art facility in the town centre will be revitalised with its expanded theatre, reconfigured museum and improved community spaces, bringing many new opportunities to the local vicinity for arts and entertainment.”
In the auditorium the changes are significant – the circle has been stripped back, with the decorative panelling being safely stored ready to be reinstalled once the project is complete, and new steelwork brought into the building ready to build an enlarged seating area.
Cut outs have also been made in the walls to create a new access point to the circle from the upper floor of the new café bar. New entrances to the auditorium on the ground floor have been created and a new concrete slab has been laid on the auditorium floor which will allow for the installation of a new air conditioning system that provides heating and cooling for theatre guests.
A new accessible lift shaft has been built that will ensure all guests can access every floor of the building including the circle which will include new accessible seating and the basement where a Changing Places toilet will be created.
On the Corporation Street side, part of the roof has been removed ready for a new Link Gallery to be installed. This will house rooms that can be used for events, school trips, and community activities, and as extra space during performance intervals.
As well as upgrading the facilities, much of the work is also about improving the fabric of the historic building to protect it for generations to come, and ensure it is more energy efficient.
This has included improvements to the roof, where the existing roof tiles have been lifted, and upgrades to the structure, lining and insulation have been installed to help improve the thermal efficiency of the building and ensure the roof is watertight for many years to come.
Works have also included the cleaning of external brickwork and some re-pointing to restore the building its original splendour.
On Station Back Lane a new extension is being built which will house dressing rooms and a new backstage area to provide performers with modern accessible facilities. A new foundation has been laid and the blockwork in this area is progressing well.
In Autumn 2021 Chesterfield Borough Council received almost £20 million from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.
A portion is being used to improve connections across the town centre and create attractive public spaces to support a range of events and markets. Work began on the Market Place earlier this year.
Around £11 million of the Levelling Up Fund grant funding will be used to fund the renovation and remodelling of Stephenson Memorial Hall.
The project received a further funding boost with £695,000 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme which will be used to install a ventilation system in the auditorium and create a new Changing Places toilet.
