THE future of Shire Hall will be the hot topic at the Chelmsford Ideas Festival kicks at the weekend.
The festival, organised by the environment group Changing Chelmsford, and Anglia Ruskin University, will see over 40 events taking place around the city to discuss the future of some of the city's most-loved buildings and heritage sites.
And along with trying to come up with uses for some of the city's most iconic buildings, the week-long event will also give members of the public the first glimpse of plans for the derelict Marconi factory in New Street.
Changing Chelmsford chairman Malcolm Noble said: "This is the first time we have held something as extensive as this festival, although we have had two smaller events from which we have learned a lot.
"The plan is to draw many strands together with the objective of letting people have a say in the future of our new city.
"The participation of Anglia Ruskin University makes this a much more wide-ranging than our previous efforts."
The festival is based around a theme called the 'Heritage Triangle', which has seen the organisers choose three local buildings, Shire Hall, the Anne Knight building opposite the railway station, and Marconi's semi-derelict wireless factory as the focal points of the week's events.
On Saturday a debate about the future of these buildings will be held and the plans to transform the Marconi building into apartments will be on display for the first time, before they go on public display at Anglia Ruskin University on October 18 and 19.
Bellway Homes has bought the nine-acre site and wants to transform the once-thriving factory into a mixture of 400 homes, offices and shops.
Mr Noble added: "We hope there will be something to enthuse everyone."
An extensive programme of lectures, workshops and fun events will also be held throughout the week and will include a visit and book-signing by Professor Stephen Hawking's daughter Lucy at Anglia Ruskin. There will also be debates pressing for parish-style councils for urban areas, the benefits of restorative justice, black history and how the city can prepare for fuel starvation later in the century.
For details, visit www. changingchelmsford.org/if2012
