ABINGDON residents have described their excitement at “first class” plans for a £3.5m redevelopment of the historic Guildhall.

The project could see a new 100-seater cinema, revamped theatre and café-bar in a transformed and more accessible building.

Abingdon Town Council and Berkshire-based architects Lewandowski Willcox revealed the plans at a public meeting on Thursday.

Residents were asked for their thoughts on the scheme, how it should be funded and in what order the elements should be constructed.

James White, from Abingdon, said: “I think they are excellent plans – first class.

“The present building is ugly and this will make the place much more attractive.

“But I fear if they do it piecemeal we will get so far and then nothing will happen for a while and the place will be a building site for years.”

Ash Verjee, 33, said: “I think it is a fantastic idea. It is just what Abingdon needs.

“It is absolutely the most important thing to keep the arts alive, and this is the perfect project to do that.”

Ursula White, 69, said: “I am really excited about it. I think it is a beautiful design. At the moment, with all the stairs and exits and entrances, the building does not work.”

Lilli Bolton, 25, said: “I think it is very exciting, especially if they make it like the independent Phoenix cinema in Oxford.

 

“The current building, I think, is a bit of an eyesore.”

Architect Dan Lewandowski said the project could be completed in several ways, either by carrying it out all at once or in sections at a time.

The town council, which took over the facility from Vale of White Horse District Council two years ago, has about £1m to redevelop the building.

Town clerk Nigel Warner said the project could be funded through grants, a loan, raising council tax, “switching resources” or lowering the Guildhall’s costs. He said the building is costing about £120,000 a year to subsidise – about £10.60 for the average Band D taxpayer.

Town councillor Iain Littlejohn, Guildhall committee chairman, said: “We believe a building of this nature ought to be able to pay for itself. At the moment 85 per cent of the time this building is empty – it is not a community building, it is an empty building.

“We are trying to return it to the purpose it had 600 years ago. At that time, Abingdon was a thriving commercial town and this was the hub where the community would meet.

“We have been working on this project in the background for about six months and it is lovely to be able to share our plans and ideas with the general public and receive such a positive reaction from the people of Abingdon.”

A £160,000 restoration of the 15th century part of the Guildhall has already been completed and the new plans concentrate on the 1966 extension.

Mr Littlejohn told residents that to demolish the 1960s extension and start again would cost about £5m, which he said was unaffordable.

Building work on the redevelopment is aimed to start in 2014.