Worcester's The Hive inspiration behind scheme to revamp this town centre building
Redditch's Town Hall in Walter Stranz Square could soon be turned into a community hub
A prominent building in Redditch could soon be turned into a community hub - with The Hive in Worcester inspiration behind the scheme.
Redditch Borough Council has applied for planning permission to turn the town hall into a hub for locals with the addition of two new extensions.
In a design and access statement submitted with plans, consultants said they had taken inspiration from The Hive, in Worcester, as the scheme for the 1980s building was drawn up.
At The Hive, several services, including a library, are all under one roof, and Redditch Borough Council says it now has room at the town hall to introduce more elements for the public.
With more staff now working at home after the pandemic, they said parts of the town hall were currently unused.
So, as part of the plans, some council services would be relocated and meeting spaces created for the public.
A new entrance will be built and the extensions designed to contrast with the red brick and brown-painted metal roof cladding of the existing building.
The primary material is a dark grey metal cladding to contrast with the red of the existing brickwork.
A decision on the scheme is expected by August.
The statement added: "With more staff now working remotely, the need for a large central office space has diminished, and much of the floor space is now unused.
The scheme proposes the relocation into the building of a number of civic functions which are currently spread out across the town.
The intention is to create a new community ‘one stop hub’ to greatly improve public access to these services, within a central location.
These functions will also work more effectively for people in the local area as they will share the same building, facilities and infrastructure."