Business centre plans move forward with £1.5m Lottery grant

The project has been developed to this stage after funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

The funding will help towards building repairs and conversion into a business centre for small and medium-sized creative and digital businesses. It will also provide an opportunity for local people to get involved in the project and learn about heritage skills as well as discovering more about the building’s history through a series of activities.

The People’s Hall, which is located in a Lace Market conservation area and is on the Listed Buildings at Risk Register, is made up of two buildings, an 18th Century townhouse and a 19th Century Public Hall. It sits over three floors, with a basement, cellars and subterranean caves. Many of the building’s original features still remain, but are in poor condition and Nottingham City Council says it hopes that some features can be preserved and restored as part of the works.

Built in 1750, the hall was originally known as Morley House. It is one of the rare examples of an 18th century gentleman’s townhouse which was built by, and for, a woman – Ann Morley. She was a successful businesswoman, and it is thought that the bricks used to build the house may have come from her own brickworks.

Sam Metcalf, The Business Desk

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