Chester’s Storyhouse plans a new chapter

Cheshire West and Chester Council will be asked to approve the extension of the current lease for Storyhouse when it meets next week. The council has been asked to extend the lease agreement with existing Storyhouse operator Picturehouse Entertainment for a further 10 years to 2047 from 2037. The 26,048 sq ft cultural centre opened in 2017, featuring a theatre, library, cinema, restaurant and a community space. The cultural hubs attracts more than 850,000 visitors annually. Annabel Turpin, chief executive of Storyhouse, said: “This extension will help provide Storyhouse and all our stakeholders with longer-term security around use of the building, which is core to our work. It will enable us to continue to develop and deliver our plans for the future with an increased sense of certainty and further cement our valuable partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council.” Councillor Lisa Denson said: “Storyhouse directly employ an average of 142 staff per year. Last year, they spent £2.2m on the direct employment of local people. In addition, a further £2m was spent with suppliers and organisations who helped them to deliver their work. “Extending the lease will support Storyhouse to further develop their strategic plans including seeking additional external investment to support its ambitious community engaged programme.” View socio-demographic information for Cheshire West and Chester >>