West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has welcomed news that Sutton Coldfield’s historic Town Hall is set to receive a ‘game-changing’ cash injection of up to £1million which will not only secure the future of the much-loved landmark but also consolidate a community hub creating jobs and up to 20 new apprenticeships.
The listed building, which since 2016 has been run by The Royal Sutton Coldfield Community Town Hall Trust (RSCCTHT), is to get the funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which is led by Mr Street.
Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell said: “This is a game-changing £1million investment in our Town Hall, which will fund vital repairs to the fabric of the building, and also kickstart an exciting new era creating new jobs and opportunities and shaping a facility which is ready to serve the community in the coming decades.
“The building’s main purpose is already established as a community-based arts, performance and cultural hub serving Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham. With this funding, these plans now mean the building will be able to continue to deliver what it is known for – from staging national productions to providing a home for amateur drama, and from business events to weddings and youth theatre.
“But it can now look forward to a new broader connection with the community, through a new allied employment hub, a café and a partnership which will drive opportunities for local young people.”
Crucially, the funds – which were approved by the WMCA’s Investment Board last week – will be used to carry out emergency works including replacing slate roofing and restoring the stone balustrades in the Edwardian part of the building, to prevent further leaking.
The investment, which is the result of an application made by RSCTHCT in 2021, will also safeguard the jobs of 16 full-time employees at the Hall on Upper Clifton Road, as well as creating nine new full-time roles, including two apprenticeships.
However, the funds will also create a new independent office suite at the site, where an established charity tenant will develop a Community Hub that enables disadvantaged young people to follow a journey into employment.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is a much-loved heritage building which has played an important role in the lives of generations of local residents, and I’m delighted that this application has been successful, and the WMCA is making this significant investment in its future.
“I understand how important the Town Hall is to many Sutton residents. This is a landmark that has been saved in the past by public campaigns, and most recently was at the centre of vaccination roll-out as well as a Food Bank collection point during the pandemic – it’s right at the heart of the Royal town.
“The Royal Sutton Coldfield Community Town Hall Trust has given the building a new lease of life since taking over and has shown real ambition and vision with their plans.
“This £1million investment will help secure jobs, create new opportunities and forge a bright future for the Town Hall.”
The new employment Hub will have a core team of 10 full-time outreach employees and will also create six new jobs for disadvantaged people and up to 20 apprenticeships.
Under the plans, the hub will also boast a cafe where young people will volunteer or be employed, providing an asset to the Town Hall which would be open to the public.
The charity responsible for the employment hub and the RSCCTH Trust has identified substantial potential for joint working across a range of partnership projects to support employment and training.
The money would also be used to open up and improve the public open space around the Hall, with a landscaped pedestrian walkway connecting Sutton Coldfield Railway Station and the Town Centre to the BMet College, professional services and assorted evening economy businesses in the emerging High Street cultural quarter of the town.