Hitchin Town Hall: Museum Proposals

Published03 March 2015

Last updated11 December 2023

Below are links to the core documents relating to the Arts, Museums and Heritage Strategy and the feasibility study into the possibility of converting Hitchin Town Hall into a museum and community facility for North Herts.

Planning Permission

Planning permission for the scheme, with Listed Building consent, was gained by the Hitchin Town Centre Initiative in March 2011. See planning application, plans and related documents.

Council Decision

At a Council meeting on 11 November 2010, members voted in favour of converting part of the Hitchin Town Hall into a new museum for North Hertfordshire while retaining the Town Hall’s use as an important community venue.

Arts, Museums & Heritage Forum: Hitchin Town Hall - November 2010 (57 KB)
Press Release: Hitchin Town Hall Council Decision (139 KB)

Hitchin Town Hall & Museum Partnership(s) Map

Listing Decision

The Council received written notice from English Heritage on 15 October 2010 confirming that the Town Hall has been listed at Grade II. A copy of the letter and the list entry can be viewed below.

English Heritage Listing decision - 14th October 2010 (7.65 MB)
Plan of Area Covered by Listing (472 KB)

The Strategy

Arts, Museum and Heritage Strategy (683 KB)
The strategy was approved by Cabinet at its meeting on 27 March 2007.

Committee Reports

Reports considered by NHDC's Cabinet / Council on the proposal

Date	Meeting	Title	Downloads
23/01/2018	Cabinet	Item 13 - Hitchin TH Acquisition of 14- 15 Brand Street	Item 13 - Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14-15 Brand Street
19/12/2017	Cabinet	HTH Acquisition of 14 and 15 Brand Street	Item 12 - Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14 and 15 Brand Street Item 12 - Appendix A1 Item 12 - Appendix A2 Item 12 - Appendix A3
28/03/2017	Cabinet	North Hertfordshire Museum & Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand street	NH Museum and HTH - Acquisition of Brand Street NH Museum and HTH - Appendix A
19/05/2016	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall	Item 19 - North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall Report (159 KB) Appendix A - NH Museum and Community Facility: reported movements in projected expenditure and funding (389 KB) Appendix B - Financial Risks Assessment (109 KB)
21/01/2016	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street	Item 13 - North Hertfordshire Museum & Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street Report (227 KB) Annex 1 - Plan of premises, identifying footprint of 14/15 Brand Street Annex 2 - Chronology of project expenditure and funding (203 KB)
03/09/2015	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility at Hitchin Town Hall	Item 12 - North Hertfordshire Museum and Community Facility (247 KB)
29/07/2015	Cabinet	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility at Hitchin Town Hall	Item 16 - Annexes 1 and 2 (188 KB) Item 16 - NH Museum and Comm Facility (315 KB)
16/07/2015	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility at Hitchin Town Hall	Item 14 - Appendix 1 (102 KB) Item 14 - NH Museum and Comm Facility (295 KB) Item 14A - Addendum - NH Museum and Comm Facility (236 KB)
21/05/2015	Council	Annual report on Cases of Special Urgency	Item 15 - Leader Special Urgency Report (132 KB)
10/03/2015	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility at Hitchin Town Hall: Project Update	Item 3 - Report Museum (309 KB)
27/01/2015	Cabinet	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility at Hitchin Town Hall: Project Update	Item 12 - Amended report - NH Museum (169 KB)
18/12/2014	Overview & Scrutiny	Development Agreement: North Hertfordshire Museum & Hitchin Town Hall Ltd	Item 5 - Report re HTH - 18 12 14 (255 KB) Item 5 - Annexe 1 Page 17 (131 KB) Item 5.1 - Report 08.08.13 -NH Museum and Community Facility (254 KB) Item 5.2 - Appendix 1 - Addendum 08.08.13 (117 KB) Item 5.3 - Appendix 2 - b&w (201 KB) Item 5.4 - Appendix 3 - colour (113 KB) Item 5.5 - Appendix 4 - b&w (1.6 MB) Item 5.6 - Appendix 5 - colour (1.3 MB) Item 5.7 - Appendix 6 - colour (2.8 MB) Item 5.8 - Appendix 7 - Report 23.04.14 (428 KB)
08/08/2013	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility	Report to Council - 08 August 2013 (98.7KB) Addendum to Council Report - 08 August 2013 (18.4KB) Annex 1.1 (122KB) Annex 1.2 (332KB) Annex 1.3 (1.54MB) Annex 1.4 (1.23MB) Annex 1.5 (2.73MB)
23/04/2013		North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility	Report to Council - 23 April 2013 (120 KB) Addendum to Council Report - 23 April 2013 (19 KB) Appendix 1 (85 KB) Appendix 2 (775 KB) Appendix 3 (1.19 MB) Appendix 4 (975 KB) Appendix 5 (1.2 MB)
15/10/2012	Council		Report to Council - 15 October 2012 (130 KB) Appendix 1 (165 KB) Appendix 2 (324 KB) Appendix 3 (198 KB) Appendix 4 (192 KB) Appendix 5 (99 KB) Appendix 6 (81 KB)
10/05/2012	Council	North Hertfordshire Museum & Community Facility	Report to Council - 10 May 2012 (166 KB) Appendix 1 (135 KB) Appendix 2 (317 KB) Appendix 3 (54 KB) Appendix 4 (2.22 MB) Appendix 5 (45 KB) Appendix 6 (182 KB) Appendix 7 (39 KB) Appendix 8 (463 KB) Appendix 9 (33 KB) Appendix 10 (315 KB)
11/11/2010	Council	Hitchin Town Hall / Museum Proposals	Report to Council - 11th November 2010 (86 KB) Annex 1 - Background & Resolutions of Council & Cabinet (42 KB) Annex 2 - Listing Schedule (1.53 MB) Annex 3 - Report to Council 11th February 2010 (112 KB) Annex 3 - Annex B from Report to Council (4.65MB) Annex 4 - Business Plan Evaluation of Both Schemes (197 KB) Annex 4 - Hall Retained Cash Flow Summary (30 KB) Annex 4 - Gym Retained Cash Flow Summary (19 KB) Community Group: Business Plan Case (2.8 MB) NHDC: Business Plan Case (3.3 MB)
28/09/2010	Cabinet	Hitchin Town Hall / Museum Proposals	Report to Cabinet - 28th September 2010 (59 KB) Report to Cabinet: Annex 1 (43 KB) Minutes - 28th September 2010 (92 KB)
11/02/2010	Council	Hitchin Town Hall / Museum: Community Group Proposal	Report to Council (112 KB) Report to Council: Annex B - Museum Feasibility Study (4.65 MB) Minutes - 11th February 2010 (61 KB)
03/12/2009	Council	Hitchin Town Hall Museum Feasibility Study Outcomes and Actions Arising	Council Report (132 KB) Council Report: Annex 1 (5.9MB) Council Report: Annex 2 (138 KB) Council Report: Annex 3 (163 KB) Minutes- 3rd December (101 KB)
20/10/2009	Cabinet	Hitchin Town Hall Museum Feasibility Study	Presentation to Cabinet 20 October 2009 (3.72 MB) Feasibility Study, October 2009 (5.96 MB) Minutes - 20th October 2009 (100 KB)
19/05/2009	Cabinet	Cragg Management Services report on the possible relocation of North Hertfordshire Museums to Hitchin Town Hall	Agenda and Report - 19th May 2009 (1.82 MB) Minutes - 19th May 2009 (77 KB)
27/01/2009	Cabinet	Report on the Future of Museums Services	Report - 27th January 2009 (100 KB) Minutes - 27th January 2009 (112 KB)
23/08/2005	Cabinet	Findings of the Review of North Herts Museum Service	Report - 23rd August 2005 (3.7 MB) Minutes - 23rd August 2005 (43 KB)

Information panel showing how Hitchin Town Hall might look as a museum and community venue, November 2009 (1.59 MB)

Presentations

Date	Presentations
21/12/2015	Projected Expenditure and Funding (52 KB)
05/05/2012	Art, Museum & Heritage Forum and Community Briefing (4 MB)
28/04/2010	Art, Museums & Heritage Forum (6.8 MB) Q&As from AMH Forum (34.6 KB)
30/07/2009	Museum Facilities Working Group (1.70 MB)
09/06/2009	Hitchin Area Committee Museum Presentation (1.47 MB)
02/06/2009	Art, Museums and Heritage Forum (1.57 MB)
02/2009	Art, Museums and Heritage Strategy Review - February 2009 (2.80 MB)

Members Information Notes

MIS Note - 21st October 2010 (27 KB)	MIS Note - 14th June 2010 (43 KB)
MIS Note - 18th October 2010 (30 KB)	MIS Note - 27th May 2010 (42 KB)
MIS Note - 13th August 2010 (32 KB)	MIS Note - 15th April 2010 (41 KB)
MIS Note - 29th June 2010 (43 KB)	MIS Note - 19th November 2009 (27 KB)
MIS Note - 8th December 2010 (215 KB)

Press Releases

Date	Press Release
24/04/2013	A fitting entrance for North Herts Museum and community facility (138 KB)
13/01/2012	Heritage Lottery Fund Grant provides boost to North Herts Museum project (92 KB)
18/01/2011	New date for result of Community Builders Fund application (37 KB)