Brief history of Peterborough Town Hall as it faces an uncertain future

The city council recently authorised £900,000 worth of “urgent” mitigation works after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found on the upper floor of the Bridge Street building.

This was despite a scrutiny committee recommending that the authority developed a long-term plan for the Town Hall before spending vast sums of money on repairs.

Since January, all city council meetings have been held at the authority’s offices in Sand Martin House instead of the Town Hall due to the condition and fire safety of the historic building.

With no plans to move council meetings back to the Town Hall any time soon, the future use of the building remains up in the air.

History of the Town Hall

In 1929, Peterborough was treated to a royal visit from Prince George who laid the foundation stone for the new Town Hall.

The building of the Town Hall, which was designed by architect Ernest Berry Webber, saw the complete demolition of the eastern side of Bridge Street.

The current structure was commissioned to replace the 17th-century guildhall in Cathedral Square in anticipation of an enlargement of the city boundary.

After various delays, including the main contractor being forced into voluntary liquidation, the Town Hall was officially opened in 1933.

Four plaques were placed on the Bridge Street façade representing ‘Civic Jurisprudence’ with symbols of truth and justice, ‘Education’ symbolised by the sphinx and the lamp, ‘Biology’ with the human figure, and ‘Industry and Reward’ denoted by the sickle, scroll and hammer.

The Town Hall received another royal visit in 1944 when Mary, Princess Royal, met American servicewomen for a lunch in the reception room.

The building was used by both Peterborough City Council and the Soke of Peterborough County Council until 1974, following the reorganisation of local government.

A clock built in 1868, which was first erected at No.8 Narrow Bridge Street before being moved to Carnegie Library in Broadway, was placed on the Town Hall in 2005.

The building has been predominantly used by the city council in recent decades, but the authority moved more than 1,000 of its staff to newer, modern offices at Sand Martin House in 2018.

This was followed by the moving of all city council meetings to Sand Martin House in January 2025 after the RAAC discovery.

The NHS and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which leased the second floor, were also asked to vacate their usual rooms.

The coroner’s service and other areas like the leader’s office remain active at the Town Hall, as well as the various retail units that line the frontage.

Millions have been spent on refurbishment works at Peterborough Town Hall in the past, including works in 2021 to enable the letting of space to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Future of the Town Hall

The £900,000 RAAC mitigation works at the Town Hall are expected to begin within the coming months and be completed by the end of December.

Some have questioned the future of the Town Hall and what it may be used for, including former Mayor of Peterborough Nick Sandford who claimed the authority was just “putting a sticking plaster” over the building’s issues without a long term plan.

“What you find out when you work in there is what a dysfunctional building it actually is,” he said.

“We’re now in a position where, even if the council did want to put it up for sale, who would want to purchase it?”

Mr Sandford suggested turning the building into a museum to showcase the building’s history, similar to what was done at the Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.

He said: “Given the fact that Peterborough’s museum is too small, I think that is something that could be considered, even if it was only in part of the Town Hall.”

At a scrutiny committee in July, another former mayor Cllr Marco Cereste said: “In my view, [the Town Hall] is the heart of our city and we’ve spent a lot of money in that area to increase the footfall.

“At the moment, none of us [councillors] are clear as to what the council’s intentions are with that building.

“It’s been there since 1933 and it would be a real shame to lose it.”

Deputy council leader and cabinet member for finance, Cllr Mohammed Jamil, previously said: “Whatever we decide to do with the Town Hall, the important thing is we make it safe.

“If we don’t and there are consequences, those can be even more dire.”

A council report in July warned that the authority, as well as businesses that occupy retail units in the building, could face great financial losses if the RAAC mitigation works did not take place.

When the RAAC works were authorised by the council’s cabinet, executive director of place and economy, Adrian Chapman, said: “If we don’t do the works now, we will have to vacate the whole of the Town Hall.”

The council said in August that it was receiving final reports from structural engineers to guide the appropriate solution for the building.