Issue details

The purpose of this report is to inform the Executive of the results of a public consultation carried out to understand the public’s preferred name for the new arts and entertainment venue being remodelled in Fareham Town Centre to replace Ferneham Hall, prior to members making a final decision on the new name.

The Council’s Vision is to create a new arts and entertainment venue in Fareham Town Centre which will include an 800-seat auditorium, a 120-seat theatre, community rooms, a flexible studio space as well as a bar and café area.

The remodelled venue will offer different, and much improved, facilities from those of Ferneham Hall, so it was considered appropriate to provide the building with a new name to emphasise this point and avoid the potential for confusion within the entertainment industry about the venue’s capabilities.

A shortlist of six names were considered by the Council’s Executive at a meeting on 03 August. This was then whittled down to a final four names which would be presented to the public so they could indicate their preferred option, with results being reported back to a future meeting of the Executive to allow a final decision on the name of the venue.

A four-week public consultation has now been carried out during which the public were asked to choose their favourite name from the short list of four options.

This report informs the Executive of the outcome of the public consultation.