Council considers lease extension for ‘vital culture hub’

Cheshire West and Chester Council will vote next week on whether to extend the lease for the city’s Storyhouse cultural complex .

Storyhouse, which also includes a bar and restaurant, opened in 2017 on a 20-year lease, and councillors are considering allowing a 10-year extension.

Councillor Lisa Denson told the BBC that Storyhouse had made a “huge contribution to Chester’s reputation as a major cultural destination” as around 40% of people who bought tickets for the venue were people from outside the borough who also spent money elsewhere in the city during their visits.

Storyhouse chief executive Annabel Turpin said: “Storyhouse has become a vital cultural hub for communities across the borough, and despite only being seven years old, many people tell me they can’t now imagine Chester without it.”