Ambassadors for Brighton wanted – to boost trade as Victorian town hall becomes business hub

Brighton Town Hall is to become a business hub attracting international trade and inward investment under plans to go before councillors next week.

The scheme includes recruiting city ambassadors – a small pool of people drawn from the business world – to meet and greet and help drum up trade.

And a report suggests “a new ‘high end’ restaurant and café on the ground floor as part of opening up the new City Hall to ensure that it is more widely used as a civic hub”.

The Victorian building is saddled with high maintenance and refurbishment costs. But council bosses are keen to exploit its potential as part of a battle plan to boost business after Brexit – Britain’s departure from the European Union (EU).

The proposals will be discussed by Brighton and Hove City Council members next Thursday (23 March) when the Policy, Resources and Growth Committee meets at Hove Town Hall.

A report to councillors said: “Brighton Town Hall is a landmark of the city. It is centrally located … in Bartholomew Square and accommodates important life events such as wedding ceremonies and the registration of births, deaths and marriages.

“It is a building of political significance, hosting full council meetings and co-ordinating electoral events. However, the building is an under-occupied and substantial grade II listed structure with ever-increasing required maintenance needs.”

Under the proposals, the Police Museum, in the basement, would be retained. And people would still be able to hold their weddings at the town hall while more use would be made of the draw of the mayor.

Dozens of receptions already take place in the Mayor’s Parlour. Most are for local groups and people, with relatively few are for visiting dignitaries.

The proposals for a revamped town hall would focus on “growing business and inward investment through the development of a new civic hub, positioning the city internationally”.

The mayor and leading councillors were deployed as part of a charm offensive during the recent Explore GB tourist trade event.

Next week councillors are expected to ask officials to “develop the civic office proposals, including piloting a programme of civic events hosted by the mayor’s office, linked to attracting inward investment and supporting key business-related campaigns or policy initiatives”.

Councillors are also being asked to agree that officials should “further develop designs and a financial business case to refurbish and modernise Brighton Town Hall to become a multi-sector hub for business growth, international trade, inward investment activity and destination marketing to position the city as ‘open for business’”.

And councillors are being asked to agree that “officers design a role and a recruitment process for a number of ‘city ambassadors’ – a small pool of council-recognised people drawn from the business sector”.

The report to councillors said: “Proposals around the ambassador role will developed … with a view to the first appointments being made in the 2017-18 municipal year.”

According to the report: “Potential uses for within a new civic hub could include

A redesigned Economic Growth Unit – an opportunity to bring together current functions that seek to drive inclusive economic growth into the new civic hub, working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership.

A new trade, investment and international relations function – the opportunity for the city hall to provide a focus for activity which seeks to promote investment into the city, support businesses to export and develop our external relations nationally and internationally, working with the
Economic Growth Unit to build and sustain business confidence, city region profile and enhance the relevance of the city council.

City hall as the city’s focal point for trade mission and business events – the city hall would become a hub for business and trade promotion to the advantage of UK-based businesses in the city region, of value to the UK government and of interest to potential business participants and sponsors.

City hall as the focal point for the city’s destination marketing function – the Visit Brighton Office provides destination marketing and convention bureau services for the city, marketing Brighton and Hove and the surrounding area as a destination to domestic and overseas visitors and selling the city as a destination for conferences, meeting and events. Visit Brighton’s expertise can also be applied to market the city to investors and trading partners.

The Better Brighton and Hove Think-Tank in city hall – the think-tank brings together academics from Brighton University and Sussex University and policy experts from Brighton and Hove City Council and other local organisations.

The report said: “Over time there may be opportunities to explore collaborations and co-location with other agencies that promote the city economy, such as offering workspace or hot-desks within Brighton City Hall to partners such as Coast to Capital LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership), Department for International Trade, Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy or the Greater Brighton Economic Board.

“The first floor of Brighton City Hall could be transformed into accommodation that supports a new civic hub.

“This would include the new mayoral function, lord lieutenant’s function, corporate training facilities which could be commercially rented, modern conference facilities which could also be rented and some commercial office space to be leased.

“The ground floor of Brighton Town Hall could be redeveloped into a restaurant and venue for marriage ceremonies or civic receptions.

“The restaurant could also be used to host dignitaries and entrepreneurs as part of a redefined mayoral function.

“The council chamber would be retained for full council meetings but should be opened for wider use, for example, university lecture space or public lectures which would generate additional income.”

The report said: “The planned maintenance budget allocation for Brighton Town Hall was £99,600 in 2016-17.

“Cost consultants value essential works to maintain the external fabric, roof and drains of the building at £2.12 million over five years.

“This excludes any internal works and, most significantly, nothing to the mechanical, electrical and water systems within the building all of which are aged.

“In November 2015 a report was presented to the leadership group outlining options for the sale and long-term lease of Brighton Town Hall.

“The property was valued at a high level and, dependent on use, between £1.5 million and £3 million.”

Overall refurbishment costs were estimated at £7.24 million, including the £2.12 million for the external fabric.

The report said: “Without capital investment, and with an inadequate planned maintenance budget, the cost of required maintenance for Brighton Town Hall will increase over time as the building deteriorates.

“Initial surveys and site evaluations estimate that a capital investment of £8 million to £10 million would be required to transform Brighton Town Hall into a new city hall and civic hub.”

“In principle, the total potential annual income for the building ranges from £350,000 to £600,000 (office space and restaurant/café rental income and meeting room hire).

“Funding options will be explored including the possibility of receiving grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other sources.”