An offer from the Academy Music Group Limited (AMG) to take over the running of St David’s Hall as the National Concert Hall of Wales, via a long-term lease has been approved in principle by Cardiff Council Cabinet.

The plan to safeguard the future of St David’s Hall could see much-needed repairs and refurbishment works worth millions carried out on the building, and a revitalised events programme designed to safeguard the classical music repertoire, while also bringing some of the most celebrated rock and pop artists to perform in Cardiff.

A report to Cardiff Council’s Cabinet reveals that the Hall is in need of necessary repair works and significant sums of money would also be required to fully upgrade the venue.

However, with Cardiff Council already facing a significant hole in its 2023/24 budget, the authority would struggle to find the capital for ongoing maintenance and repairs.Consequently, for several years now, it has been investigating ways in which the venue’s future could be secured at zero or little cost to the taxpayer.

Final approval of any lease would be subject to a further Cabinet report, following public consultation as part of the Council’s budget setting process, and the publication of a Voluntary Ex-Ante Notice (VEAT notice), a public notice of intent which will include details of the draft contract negotiated with AMG.

The offer from AMG would see it take on full responsibility for the building, removing the council’s liability for maintenance and subsidies, while also:

Investing in a series of essential restoration and ongoing maintenance
Investing in modernising the communal areas (bars/foyers etc)
Investing in the main auditorium – including new seat coverings and flooring
Investing in the stage area
Committing to employing all existing Council staff at the Hall on existing terms and conditions through a TUPE agreement.

Investment would also be made in the lower stalls – installing removable seating to enable standing for Academy events. This proposal has been tested and approved by the Hall’s original acoustic engineers Sandy Brown to confirm it will have no noticeable impact on the venue’s world-class acoustics.

In July 2021 acoustic consultants from Sandy Brown visited the hall and carried out detailed acoustic tests over two days to quantify the hall’s key acoustic properties. The hall’s natural acoustic qualities were benchmarked in detail across all the seating terraces.

The Sandy Brown team also built a detailed 3D acoustic computer model of the hall using specialist acoustic software and this was used to assess the AMG proposals. The modelling indicated that changes in the hall’s natural acoustic properties as a result of the proposals were expected to be minimal and generally below the thresholds of change required for it to be noticeable. Sandy Brown have given recommendations to be followed if the AMG proposals are implemented, and their benchmark test results and computer model are available to assist in reviewing any design proposals if necessary.

The AMG proposal also aims to further build the reputation of St David’s Hall as the National Concert Hall and one of the leading classical music venues in the UK. As part of this AMG have committed to:

Deliver all aspects of the classical programme without subsidy from the Council with the aim of developing and improving the events calendar.
Continue to deliver the international concert series whilst eliminating the risk to the Council of securing orchestras, which will now be provided by AMG.
Ensure the classical music programme receives adequate priority by setting aside 60 days during the peak event period (September-May), and an additional 25 extra days outside of peak season, to guarantee time for events including Cardiff Singer of the World and the Welsh Proms. Both Cardiff Singer of the World and The Proms currently take place out of peak period so this is not a change to their programming. This means a minimum of 85 days will be available for the classical programme. At present the classical programme, classical-related community events, and the work of the Arts Active Trust, utilises up to 87 days.
Continue to use an independent classical music programme advisor
Maintenance of the venue’s key musical instruments including the concert organ and 5 Steinway pianos
Promotion of the classical music offer through their extensive marketing channels
Deliver AMG’s music product to Cardiff bringing a significant number of high-quality rock and pop music events from the best up-and-coming artists to perform at the Hall each year
Continue to work with Arts Active to support the classical programme and community events
Make the Hall available for community events free of charge on the days when the Hall is scheduled to be open and for a small community rate on the days it is scheduled to be closed (to cover the basic operational overheads).

Cabinet Member for Culture Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke Davies, said: “There is undeniably a need to secure investment into St David’s Hall. Given the current pressure on budgets – we face a significant budget gap next year – the council is keen to explore alternative models which can revitalise and upgrade the building, while protecting the venue’s status as the National Concert Hall of Wales.

“This council knows the importance of St David’s Hall to classical music lovers and the proposal does protect the main classical programme, community events, and includes opportunities for these to be extended. The Hallwould continue to deliver a world-class international concert series and classical music programme which gives residents and visitors access to classical music, delivered by respected full symphonic orchestras in the Hall’s specially-designed auditorium.

“It also commits to a substantial investment to repair and upgrade the building while ensuring the hall’s reputation for world-class acoustics will remain. The original acoustic engineers Sandy Brown have seen the plans for the seating arrangements and are content that they will not adversely affect the acoustics and that St David’s will maintain its reputation as one of the best sounding concert halls in the world.

“The proposal also protects all existing employees on their current terms and conditions through a TUPE agreement, but the council will absorb the Arts Active team into the education department so that they can continue the great work they do bringing classical music to new audiences each year.

“This council has faced ten years of austerity where it has seen its budget reduced by over a quarter of a billion pounds. We have had to focus our spend on key statutory services ensuring that education and social care, which swallow up around 72% of the council’s budget continue to deliver good results for our residents.

“We have been looking at ways to find suitable partnerships for St David’s Hall and the New Theatre since 2014 to reduce the burden on the taxpayer of the council subsidising both venues. In 2016 the council undertook a full open procurement process, but this did not identify a suitable partner able to commit to run the St David’s without subsidy and able to invest in the building. A deal has subsequently been done to secure the future of the New Theatre, but up until now we have never had an offer which could work for St David’s Hall. This offer, which commits to maintaining and upgrading the venue, ensuring the classical and community programme will remain, while introducing a vibrant new music offer to the city, might be one of the few opportunities we have to safeguard the future of St David’s Hall for years to come.”

A report brought to Cabinet in December 2021 set out a detailed schedule of priority works. The cost of those works, other improvements and modernisation runs into the millions.

Cabinet then asked council officers to produce an outline business case on the future of St David’s Hall and, in the meantime, implement a building management and health and safety strategy to ensure the venue remained open and useable. The latest report to Cabinet notes that this ‘approach can only reasonably be continued in the immediate short term as a stop gap to permanent remediation.’