QUEST IONS have been raised about the suitability of Brighton Town Hall becoming an international trade hub.

Brighton and Hove City Council unveiled plans last month for the £10 million transformation of the Grade II listed civic hall in Bartholomew Square.

The town hall would be remodelled as a “multi-sector hub for business growth and international trade”.

A restaurant and café are also proposed to expand the wedding service and offer a venue for the mayor to host dignitaries as part of an expanded role to help the city economy with support from a team of ambassadors.

The plans were presented to the Greater Brighton Economic Board yesterday where members gave their backing to the renovation and ambassador plans.

Lewes District Council leader Andy Smith said the town hall was “semi-redundant” but called for a thorough business case and a study into footfall to establish whether the project was likely to succeed. He also questioned whether a cafe would be successful among so many others.

Adur District Council leader Neil Parkin said it was a difficult building to get to and the prospect having to drop off an ambassador and a business representative 300 yards away from the building would not create a great impression.

University of Brighton vice-chancellor Debra Humphris urged for the style of the town hall to be retained in any restaurant which could make an excellent venue for hosting academic conferences.

Dean Orgill, Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership chairman, said there was a need for good office space and the business community was enthusiastic about an alternative to arranging business meetings in cafes.

Geoffrey Theobald, Brighton and Hove Conservative group leader, said he had some caveats about the plan but hoped it could be used in a similar manner as Manchester Town Hall.

Nick Hibberd, the city council economic director, said soft market testing had been positive and established market interest. He said the next step was to establish a business case for capital investment through grant or lottery funding or borrowing against future income.