Watford Town Hall revamp plans include cafe and museum

A planning application for change of use and alterations at the Hempstead Road building was validated yesterday (October 24) in a bid to "refurbish and re-service" the venue.

It includes the relocation of Watford Museum to the Town Hall, the opening of a café, and reconnecting the hall to the Colosseum at the ground floor.

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According to the planning application’s impact assessment: “The core aim of the project is to intensify the use of the Town Hall by providing cultural, heritage and community facilities, alongside enterprise and creative industry.

“The new Town Hall will therefore incorporate Watford Museum, a cafe and retail, lettable office suites and re-imagined council offices, as well as enhanced cultural connections with the Colosseum.”

“Considerable reworking” is required to “adapt it for more intensive use as a council and community-focussed cultural hub."

Watford Town Hall (Image: Google Street View)

The proposed layout changes aim to improve the visitor experience, usability, flow, and wayfinding.

The plan aims to maintain the building’s Art Deco style throuought all repairs and refurbishment.

Accessibility is also a key concern.

The design and access statement says: “There are significant challenges around accessibility as the Town Hall building occupies an elevated position with stepped access.

“A key aspect of the redevelopment will be to ensure that the building becomes easily accessible both in terms of providing level access for wheelchair users and providing an inclusive environment for the whole Watford community.”

Full size CGI of proposed Town Hall changes (Image: Watford Borough Council)

Partitions would be removed, and rooms would be altered to “refresh” the hall’s aesthetic.

The committee room would also be changed by removing an existing reinforced concrete column to give it a “focused feel for formal events” while also being flexible for use in functions.

Heating and ventilation are also set for improvements, along with electrical upgrades such as new lights.

A £3.2million grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is also being used to improve the energy performance of the buildings and to transition to low carbon heating for the Town Hall and Colosseum.

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