News-Plans for County Durham community venue get the go-ahead

Published March 13, 2025 12.19pm

A former civic hall in County Durham is to be reopened as a community venue.

DCC passes Stanley Civic Hall to community

Cllr Rowlandson (right) with Glenn McCrory, one of the directors of Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd.,

Our Cabinet has accepted an offer for Stanley Civic Hall, also known as the Lamplight Arts Centre, to bring the building back into community use and ensure its future.

Meeting the needs of the community

Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd propose to transform the building into a 'social enterprise', offering sports facilities, stage and screen productions, space for amateur dramatics, activities for the town's elderly residents and provision for local businesses and organisations to showcase events.

It was one of four bidders which submitted offers for the site, with us accepting the bid that overall best met the community's needs and was in the public interest.

The building, which had previously been leased to Stanley Town Council from 2015 to 2024, requires significant investment to bring it back into use following a lack of ongoing maintenance over the last ten years.

We have agreed to support Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd with a grant to help bring the asset back into use for the benefit of the local community.

'Helping the entire community to thrive'

Cllr James Rowlandson, Cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said: "We know that residents in Stanley have strong community connections to this building so it was important that we found someone who could take it on and reopen it as a venue that benefits everyone who lives in the town.

"Lamplight Arts Centre Ltd offered the widest community use in its bid for the building, offering the best value and community benefit and we are pleased to be able to support this newly established social enterprise in bringing the hall back into use.

"Community assets are vital in tackling social isolation and encouraging people to connect with each other. As well as offering a place where local people can come together and enjoy a range of arts and cultural activities, a redeveloped Lamplight Centre will also support the regeneration and economic development of the town centre, helping the entire community to thrive."