Bridgend Town Council has published a feasibility study on options to secure the future of Carnegie House in Bridgend town centre (pdf).
The Grade II listed building was formerly Bridgend Library (which relocated to Bridgend Life Centre/The Rec) and was used as the town council’s offices until their move to Ty’r Ardd (the former registry offices at Sunnyside) in 2024.
Carnegie House was transferred from Bridgend County Borough Council to the town council in 2013 under a Community Asset Transfer. Since then, it’s been used as a multi-purpose space for events hosted by the town council and other community organisations.
“Vibrant cultural and creative hub”
The overall aim of the town council is for Carnegie House to become “a vibrant cultural and creative hub at the heart of Bridgend, where arts, heritage, and community come together to inspire, engage, and enrich lives.”
In terms of what they want to do with the building itself, the options include:
- Increasing the capacity of the main hall on the ground floor to over 200 people (standing), with a new stage and refreshments area/servery. This would need to include new fire escape routes.
- The former town council chamber on the first floor would be converted to a multi-purpose room for hire. A new office for Bridgend & District History Society would also be provided next to it.
- New men’s, women’s and disabled toilets would be provided on the first floor.
In the report, the project was compared to similar ones, which include the Sub Rooms in Stroud, the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay and Drill Hall in Chepstow.
Financial viability
The renovation cost is estimated to be in the region of £468,000, though this could rise to up to £550,000 if optional improvements were made to the décor, furnishings and equipment.
If the new Carnegie House “lives up to its potential” through ticket sales, room hire and events, turnover is estimated to be anything up to £140,000 per year, with a profit/surplus of around £7,500 per year.
Several different options were put forward for how the revamped centre could be run:
- No change – The town council doesn’t believe this is suitable, but it would retain democratic control, though the centre would be at increased risk of closure.
- New business plan and strategy – The town council would continue to take the lead, but would appoint a dedicated centre/arts manager to run Carnegie House. The aim would be to reduce the amount of money the town council provides while increasing revenue from events.
- A new charity or community interest company – A new organisation would take over Carnegie House, with the town council taking a backseat role. It would still need town council investment, but being run as a charity opens the door to grants which are unavailable to the town council.
- Contract out management to an established arts organisation – A service agreement would be signed with a cultural trust or arts organisation (although not mentioned by name, the obvious option would be Awen Cultural Trust). This may result in Carnegie House being run “more professionally”, but the town council and volunteers would lose their influence.
- Another community asset transfer – The town council, which took control of Carnegie House in a community asset transfer, transfers it out again on a lease to another organisation. Legal advice would be needed on whether the town council has the power to do this.
The feasibility study was funded by a mix of Bridgend Council’s Resilient Communities Fund and the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
