Plans for a new £7.6m cultural and civic centre in Oakham and the sell off of Rutland County Council's headquarters have been made public. 

Under the proposals, the Rutland County Museum site at Catmos Street would be remodelled and extended to include a new council chamber as well as an exhibition space for the prehistoric ichthyosaur discovered at Rutland Water in 2021. 

The ichthyosaur fossil was discovered at Rutland Water in 2021 (Photo: Discover Rutland)

A digital display of the 4th Century Roman Villa discovered near Ketton the following year would also be part of the new cultural centre. 

The proposal also includes spending £170,000 on the technical plans for new council offices at Oakham Enterprise Park. Grade II listed Catmose House, which is the current council headquarters, could be sold off to pay for some of the work. 

The cost of the project will be discussed by the council's cabinet on Tuesday (February 11). The schemes will be paid for by using money that has come into the council from developers and capital receipts from the sale of buildings, The authority will also apply for a National Lottery Heritage Grant. In 2023 central government Levelling-Up funding worth £2m was secured for the digitisation of the ichthyosaur and the historic villa. 

The wider scheme has been under consideration for some time and is part of a project by the authority to reduce its asset costs as well as transform its cultural offering. 

Planned additions to the museum for the cultural and civic centre hopes to boost attraction to the highstreet (Photo: Nub News)

The report says: "Development of a cultural and civic centre is the preferred option for the museum and cottage site. This provides the greatest opportunity to make a positive financial contribution to the council whilst offering a modern, enhanced venue to showcase the Rutland ichthyosaur, digital visitor attraction and the county's heritage collection alongside a new multi-purpose venue for civic activities including council meetings and other functions including arts and cultural events, weddings and conferences. 

"The development of a new cultural and civic centre has the potential to provide a new anchor at the end of Oakham High Street, attracting new visitors and supporting the wider town centre and evening/night-time economy." 

As the £7.6m sum for the full project has not been secured and is dependent on grants, the authority is proposing a phased development. 

The reports says: "Phase 1 would provide purpose-built museum space for the Ichthyosaur display, the multi-use space hall, catering and retail facilities and could be achieved within the council's available funding and borrowing capacity. Phase 2 would deliver the renovation of The Riding School with modern collection displays, a new learning centre for delivery of formal and informal education delivery, a temporary exhibition gallery, registry office and civic office provision and is contingent on securing £4.15m of grant funding and donations." 

The authority would also introduce an admission fee for the cultural centre, which it says has been supported by stakeholder groups.

Rutland Council are also proposing to sell their current offices at Catmose House (Photo: Grace Kennington)

A change of civic buildings is also part of the plan. 

"The report also recommends commissioning detailed design work to inform a business case for new office accommodation at Oakham Enterprise Park either for the council and/or as a commercial proposition. This would enable the council to progress with the disposal of Catmose House as its existing head office and futureproof options in the context of local government reorganisation." 

The county is currently undergoing preparations for a nationwide reorganisation of local government, which is likely to see Rutland County Council replaced with a larger unitary authority. 

This is the first time that the possibility of new council offices at Oakham Enterprise Park has been made public. 

The report says that a decision made last April to look at selling off assets and moving council offices had initially considered moving local authority staff into the museum or remodelling Catmose House. But it says the new preferred option is to relocate offices to a new building at the Enterprise Park – formerly Ashwell Prison. Levelling up funding for a new medical centre at the same site could also be used for groundworks and infrastructure for the new offices. 

At Tuesday's meeting, the six member cabinet led by Councillor Gale Waller (Lib Dem) will be asked to approve the acquisition of the Rutland ichthyosaur from Anglian Water to Rutland County Council and accession into the museum collection; and procure detailed technical designs for the new cultural centre and Oakham Enterprise Park office accommodation and submit applications for funding.