Conwy Civic Hall

Significance

A landmark building with good facilities, this is Conwy’s only theatre. Situated by the quay in the centre of historic Conwy, the original Civic Hall was designed in a Tudor Gothic style. Following a fire in 1966, the hall was rebuilt in sheet concrete, the fortified appearance of the cubic concrete design, a nod to the surrounding medieval walls, parts of the remains of which, including a buttressed foyer and tower were incorporated. A 240-seat studio theatre was included in the reconstruction. 

The architectural significance of the post war areas of the Civic Hall deserves greater appreciation.   

Why is this theatre at risk?

Conwy Civic Hall has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2011. 

Conwy County Borough Council announced plans to close the venue in 2011. Local user groups formed a community interest company to take over the management of the venue, but its proposal was rejected by the council, as unviable. The venue closed in March 2014 and has faced an uncertain future since. 

The council has put the building out for tender for commercial bids on several occasions. In 2019, the building was put on the market again, with a guide price of £500k. A shortlist of three preferred bidders was drawn up from the submissions received with development company Nautical Point Ltd selected by council cabinet members to take its scheme forward. This was for a mixed-use scheme, but Theatres Trust urged the developer to consider how options for retention of live performance could be incorporated. In summer 2024, the council resolved to grant planning permission and listed building consent for the redevelopment of Conwy Civic Hall, subject to legal agreement. Due to Theatres Trust intervention, the permission was to include a planning condition requiring a performance space to be a part of the scheme. However, in 2026 Nautical Point withdrew its plans for redevelopment of the Civic Hall and the theatre site is currently back on the market. 

If another buyer is found, the redevelopment of the site will mean the loss of significant post-war architecture and Conwy’s only theatre.  

Theatre potential

Since the Civic Hall closed in 2014, the residents of Conwy have been without a community location to meet, celebrate, or present home-grown entertainment or small music and touring shows, all of which were valuable activities before its closure. While the council has invested in the Canolfan Ddiwylliant / Culture Centre, a new building to replace the community facility lost from the closure of the Civic Hall, this does not have space big enough for local amateur groups to perform. 

More recently, a new community hub, Neuadd Ni – Hall for All - has opened in Conwy providing space for community groups, classes, music and the arts, gigs, exhibitions, and a food bank programme. It has helped fill some of the gap left by the closure of the Civic Hall, however the stage facility is small and there remains a call from groups for a larger facility for theatre performances and live music events.  

Amateur groups have also held performances in a variety of venues in neighbouring towns, however, the lack of a live performance venue in Conwy is a source of concern and travel distance, at times, poses an issue to audiences. There remains significant local interest in saving the building as a resource for the community / ensuring that any redevelopment offers adequate reprovision on the site. 

Current situation

Despite the difficulties of the site – the building is listed and with limited footprint and is also within a World Heritage Site – the council remains committed to the disposal of the Civic Hall for redevelopment.  

Recent conversations between Theatres Trust and the council have suggested that the council would open to a community use for the Civic Hall but that this would need to be backed by a robust business case. 

Pwyllgor Cymraeg Aberconwy [Aberconwy Welsh Committee], a community group with a focus on promoting the Welsh language and culture, has recently expressed interest in the theatre. Pwyllgor Cymraeg Aberconwy  has been organising various live performances and community events within Conwy since 2023. Together with a well-known and trusted local partner organisation, Menter Iaith Conwy, its plans would focus on a community venue, returning the first floor of the Civic Hall to a live performance space and using the ground floor as a food market. The group is looking to submit an Expression of Interest to the council for the 31 July deadline. They have recently been successful in a bid to the Architectural Heritage Fund for a viability grant for architectural and business modelling to support the bid. Theatres Trust is supportive of the community-based aspiration for the building and a reuse that would see the building reopened for live performance. 

While the outcome of the Expression of Interest is unknown, Theatres Trust’s preferred outcome is for the Civic Hall to be retained, restored and reopened as a community facility with live performance. We also believe that this is the most environmentally sustainable solution for the site.  

Main photo Conwy Civic Hall, Purcell