Have your say on concert hall plan

A PUBLIC meeting is to be held to give people a chance to have a say on the long-term future of Warrington’s premier concert hall.
Management at the town centre Parr Hall is inviting members of the public to a consultation session at the hall on Wednesday, August 27, at 6.30pm.
Issues to be discussed include the type of performances people would like to see at the hall, community involvement and funding opportunities.
Two years ago, a feasibility study commissioned by the borough council concluded that it would take £6.8 million to bring the 111-year-old hall up to present day standards.
But borough council chiefs said this would result in a “proper theatre” with first class back-stage facilities, new seating and modern lighting and electrical systems.
Main difficulty was that the council did not have the money and would be looking for private sector partners to help with the refurbishment.
In recent years, the Parr Hall has had difficulty attracting top flight artists, mainly because of its dated backstage facilities.
The feasibility study suggested the hall would have to be transformed not just into a theatre but also into a social venue – a place where people could call in all through the day, with a restaurant or café.
Some Warrington groups – including the award-winning Centenary Theatre Company – have ceased to use the hall, preferring to travel to Runcorn’s Brindley Theatre.
But if Parr Hall was renovated it would hold twice as many people as the Brindley – up to 1,000 compared with only 450 at the Runcorn venue.
Two million people live within a half-hour drive of the Parr Hall – giving the hall a huge potential market.
More information about the consultation meeting on August 27 is available from 01925 442345.
Pictured…an artist’s impression of what the Parr Hall could look like.