Stanley Civic Hall to be converted into new community centre

The former Stanley Civic Hall will be converted to provide sports facilities, stage and screen productions, space for amateur dramatics, activities for the town’s elderly residents and provision for local businesses and organisations to showcase events.

Formerly known as the Lamplight Arts Centre, the building was handed back to Durham County Council in 2024 after nine years of Stanley Town Council ownership when it admitted it could not keep up with the venue’s rising maintenance and repair costs.

Conservative councillor James Rowlandson previously said the venue had holes in its roof, leaking water and a broken heating system. Repairing the venue would cost an estimated £1 million, the council said. 

Local members were labelled “inept and incompetent” and were told they had let the residents of Stanley down by those in power at County Hall.  

“I am at a loss to understand how the town council has not been able to deal with the obligations to maintain the building to an adequate standard,” Cllr Rowlandson previously said.

“I sincerely feel sorry for all the residents of Stanley being so let down by the clearly inept and incompetent Labour administration running Stanley Town Council.” 

The building, which had previously been leased to Stanley Town Council from 2015 to 2024, requires significant investment to bring it back into use following a lack of ongoing maintenance over the last ten years.

The new operator Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd will receive a grant from the county council to fund the redevelopment. 

Cllr Rowlandson, cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said: “We know that residents in Stanley have strong community connections to this building, so it was important that we found someone who could take it on and reopen it as a venue that benefits everyone who lives in the town.”

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While town councillors dispute the Tory councillor’s claims, Labour leader Carl Marshall hopes the funding will signal a fresh start for the venue.

“Stanley Civic Hall has the potential to be the jewel in Stanley’s cultural crown – a large venue with space for events, weddings, shows, movies and meetings that sadly fell into a state of disrepair when the Tory’ government’s austerity measures choked off essential funding,” he said. 

The county councillor for Stanley added: I very much welcome the Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd’s plans to breathe new life into the facility and transform it into a 'social enterprise'. Even in its current state the building has fulfilled a wide range of essential purposes in recent years, providing cheap or free summer movies for youngsters, hosting community events like Blooming Marvellous and even acting as a food bank and response hub during Covid lockdowns. 

“Hopefully, this deal will herald a new dawn for the former Civic Hall, securing its future and role in the ongoing regeneration of our town centre.”