We want to modernise the Guildhall to make it a central hub for local democracy, while acting as the front door for residents accessing council services.

Revitalising the Guildhall will help us to preserve a piece of Cambridge’s heritage, while supporting our net zero target and reducing running costs and making the building accessible.

We are planning to:

• have a shared ground floor lobby with improved natural lighting and a café for the public, council staff and commercial tenants
• increase the use of the civic halls
• create space for a cultural attraction – with the Museum of Cambridge considering a potential relocation to the Guildhall

The council’s office spaces will be consolidated, moving staff from Mandela House into the Guildhall.

Plans also include a new Customer Service Centre that will be a welcoming and fully accessible space, similar to the offer in the council’s new community centres across the city.

Commercial spaces

We want to provide space for commercial occupiers on the upper floors to increase the council’s income, to help support the running of frontline services. Long-term future of the Guildhall

We understand that current users of the Guildhall may have concerns about how development will impact them and their business operations.

We are in regular dialogue with tenants who occupy the Guildhall about how the project will impact upon them, and their sub-tenants.

However, as part of developing proposals further during 2025, detailed work for the programme plan will be produced. This will enable us to provide more detail about next steps by the end of 2025.

As part of any future works, the council will put in place alternative arrangements to provide continuity of the Council’s democratic meetings.