A much-loved building in St Ives, the Guildhall is in need of extensive restoration and improvement.
The aim of this project is to develop the building into a thriving cultural venue together with a café and bar space.
As well as safeguarding the future of an important heritage building, the project will provide a high-quality year-round programme for all potential audiences in St Ives and West Cornwall, develop the town’s role as a national centre of heritage, arts and culture and provide opportunities for careers in creative arts.
LATEST PROJECT NEWS
The Guildhall project continues to make visible progress on site, with the forecourt works beginning to the front of the building.
The steel frame for the portico has been erected and inside the main hall, the stage has been rebuilt, retaining the heritage apron to the front, with the below stage toilet areas constructed.
The trenching for electrical and tech services is complete, and the large birdcage scaffold remains to support the high-level electrical works to lighting, ventilation system, and stage engineering.
The Guildhall project is, however delayed, and will be opening later than anticipated, this is due to the discovery of a structural issue with the party wall between the Old Vicarage Flats and the Guildhall side extension.
Resolving this has been a complex and has resulted in the rebuilding of the ground floor portion of the gable end of the Old Vicarage Flats to stabilise the building, in order for the Guildhall works to continue.
Classic Builders have taken on the party wall works and have now installed the steelwork and completed ground works. On completion of this piece of work to the party wall, the Guildhall extension will then be built.
Members of the Youth Engagement and Projects team at St Ives Town Council are continuing to support 11-25 year olds through the Town Deal funded Yonkers project.
As well as staging activities at the St Ives Food Festival and Palemon Best Community Day, the team ran a weekly ‘Table tennis and tunes’ event at the local leisure centre during the summer holidays and worked with local schools and youth providers to deliver a first ever Beach Transition Day where over 100 local year 6 students took part in activities alongside students from St Ives School aimed at helping them feel ready for the transition to secondary education.
Other activities included inviting members of the Cornwall Youth Council to join local young people in a debate on issues around Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Guildhall Council Chamber, and staging a range of music events. These included supporting the Town Band working with Global Jamming and local Youth talent and hosting the town’s first Youth Music event, with local young people performing alongside a visiting Youth Choir and theatre group.
The Youth team have also gained funded places on a level 2 Youth Work Qualification.
Find out more about Yonkers here follow @yonkersstives
More details on the Guildhall project is available here and via social media @stivesguildhall Find out more about Yonkers here follow @yonkersstives
