The design of the old town hall involved a six-storey block which was canted forward over the main entrance and also extended to the rear behind the front elevation. It was attached to the east, via a long low-rise connecting block, to an auditorium known as the "Civic Hall". The complex was faced with alternating bands of concrete and windows. The principal room in the town hall was the council chamber, which was furnished in a minimalist style. The rock band, The Who, performed in the civic hall in April 1965.[3][4]
In February 2017, council leaders decided that the old complex was no longer fit-for-purpose and, despite a petition to save it,[5] they initiated demolition of the complex in January 2020.[6][7] They also signed a contract for a new town hall to be erected on the site of the old civic hall. Construction on the new building began in spring 2020.[8][9]
The new building was designed by Cartwright Pickard in the International Style, built by Kier Group in concrete and glass.[10][11] The design involved a nine-storey square-shaped building: the lower storeys were reserved for municipal use while the upper storeys made available for commercial tenants.[12] At the southwest corner of the building, the lower two floors were recessed to create an entrance and a large carving of the borough coat of arms was installed there in August 2022.[13] The new building was formally opened on 21 March 2023.[14]
