A LUXURY boutique cinema could take pride of place in Chelmsford's most iconic building if a consortium's ambitious plans to transform it into a community hub are realised.
"High-level" talks with between the group and Essex County Council over Shire Hall's future are under way, regarding a holistic approach being mooted for the 18th-century building.
Tom Butler, who is one of the consortium group leaders, said: "At this stage, this is nothing more than a detailed proposal we have put forward. But all the feedback we have had has been more than positive."
The proposal also includes a cafe with associated bookshop, food court, charity food bank, members' lounge, function hall and events venue plus high-end office space.
The Chelmsford businessman and fellow consortium leader Paul Cummin run the UK franchise of the Danish luxury loudspeaker manufacturer Artcoustic and
Mr Butler runs the UK franchise of Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Artcoustic with fellow consortium member Paul Cummin and the pair have a background in
luxury bespoke cinemas.
Also a director of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, he says the cinema could boast one of the most advanced Dolby Atmos sound systems in the South of the UK outside the capital.
But he stressed that the cinema would be just one facet of the building and its overarching purpose was to retain the building for community use.
In particular, he envisaged the first-floor County Room – the largest ballroom in Essex the county – to remain essentially untouched.
It would be available for hire, with the focus on occupancy rates rather than purely profit.
The 32-year-old explained: "The cinema would not necessarily be the main part of the building. It would be an aspect of a multi-purpose hub that would also see the inclusion of the cathedral grounds to the rear of the building, connecting it to the city centre."
The group has already had promising conversations with Chelmsford Diocese about the proposal, which Mr Butler feels would make the cathedral better connected to the city centre.
He felt the project would help complement planned improvements to the immediate area, which include the opening of Jamie Oliver's Trattoria in the old Barclays building, the arrival of Waitrose, John Lewis and the High Chelmer food quarter, and the pedestrianisation of Tindal Square.
While the proposals have already had a very encouraging response on social media, Mr Butler emphasised nothing had been agreed with the council.
"There's a swell of anticipation, people are excited. But these are nothing more than plans at the moment," Mr Butler added.
Shire Hall has lain empty since December 2012 when bits of concrete fell off. A £500,000 restoration project to the exterior of the building is currently taking place and is expected to be finished by autumn.
In April, county councillor Dick Madden, who is also chairman of the Shire Hall reference group, said the council was in serious discussions with two potential tenants.
He admitted the process has been "hugely frustrating," but underlined the importance of finding a project that would keep the building open to the public but also be commercially viable.
Mr Butler says the venture would be funded in part by way of the issue of high-yield bonds to both private and corporate investors, principally from the local area.
An Essex County Council spokesman said: "Essex County Council is still looking at a number of options for the future of this much-loved community building which would ensure it is preserved for future generations while ideally being able to operate commercially and generate income for the council which we can plough back into services for residents.
"No formal decision has yet been made but our intention remains to do everything we can to ensure the public can still access the building."
