Revised proposals relating to the multi-million-pound renovation of a prominent building which contains the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum have been submitted to the borough’s planning authority.

Chesterfield Borough Council is seeking permission to change approved drawings to reflect aspects of design that have altered since the consented scheme for the Stephenson Memorial Hall.

The main change to the plans concerns an originally proposed three-storey extension and parapet to a plant deck – consisting of two storeys of brickwork and a zinc clad top storey and parapet. The revised scheme is a two-storey building with the omission of the top zinc clad storey which would mean there is no longer a need to build over and conceal the existing brick gables to the south elevation of the auditorium. The extension has less volume, reduced height and conceals fewer existing features of the listed building.

Two large cowls are also proposed to be removed from the auditorium roof as they are no longer part of the ventilation system and partly block/affect the setting of the Crooked Spire when viewed from the north-east approach from the station.

How the Stephenson Memorial Hall, which contains the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum, would look under the revised proposal.

placeholder image — How the Stephenson Memorial Hall, which contains the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum, would look under the revised proposal.

The £19million renovation and remodelling of the theatre and museum will be partially funded by £11million of the Levelling Up Fund grant that the borough council secured from the Government. The council was awarded nearly £20million to revitalise the town centre. A further £695,000 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme will be used to install a ventilation system in the theatre auditorium and create a new Changing Places toilet.