In response to an enquiry from the media we issued the following response about Allia letting the Guildhall to small businesses and the agreement held by both parties.

A spokesperson for Cambridge City Council said: “Whilst the main terms for the letting of the ground floor offices in the Guildhall have been agreed (subject to contract), there are aspects relating to the additional space in the former tourist information centre, café, shop and former courtroom that are still under discussion and therefore not finalised yet. The letting will provide a financial return to the council but, the final terms of the agreement between the council and Allia will remain confidential to the organisations concerned.

“Allia is a not-for-profit organisation, and therefore any profit generated from running the business centre will be invested back into providing support to local businesses, charities and community enterprises, through business support and, where feasible, affordable workspaces.”

The executive councillor leading on this matter is Cllr Mike Davey (Labour), Executive Councillor for Finance Resources and Transformation. Spokespersons for the other political groups on this issue are Cllr Tim Bick (Liberal Democrat) and Cllr Naomi Bennett (Green/Independent Group).