Condition of Nottingham Council House and lions branded ‘depressing’ by history group

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Nottingham's famous Left Lion statue pictured in 2018, left, and this week in 2025.

By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter

The condition of Nottingham Council House has been branded “depressing” and in need of cleaning and repair – but the authority’s leadership says it is not high up on its list of priorities due to continued financial problems.

The Grade-II listed Neo-Baroque-style building acts as a forum for debate and decision making when Nottingham councillors meet for Full Council. It is also still the register office for births, marriages, and deaths.

It is the largest civic building in the city, and features a 200ft dome which houses the Little John bell.

A  Freedom of Information request, submitted by the BBC and published in December, revealed outstanding repairs are needed for stonework on the building’s façade, as well as the dome, flooring, and areas of the roof that are leaking.

These are expected to cost in the region of £2.8m.

On top of repairs, Nottingham Civic Society now says the building and its famous resident lion statues are in urgent need of cleaning.

Ian Wells, vice-chairman of the Nottingham Civic Society, told Notts TV: “It is very disappointing at the moment.

“The building was cleaned about 50 years ago, perhaps rather vigorously, and of course it has just got the city’s pollution ever since, but now it really is depressing to look at it.

“One would love to see it gleaming and shining and looking really good and really being the flagship of the city.

“I’d love to see a proper cleaning programme. Nottingham Civic Society about 15 years ago got a consultant in from Edinburgh University to look at how it could be done, but of course it is price as usual.”

Council documents dating back to August 2005 show the Labour-run authority set aside £400,000 for cleaning of the Council House and Exchange building at the time.

However, when asked when the building was most recently cleaned, the council did not to respond.

Ahead of the local elections in May 2023, the Nottingham Labour Group also said in its manifesto that it would look for funding for future restoration projects, including the Council House.

But speaking during a Full Council meeting in July last year Cllr Ethan Radford, the council’s deputy leader, said: “Given the extent of the financial challenges this council currently faces, while grappling with huge demand pressures on our services, I must admit looking for funding to spruce up the façade of this building is not high up on our list of our priorities.

“Given our funding pressures, we are only approving essential maintenance works.

“Council officers in all our services are already working at reduced capacity and I would rather they were spending what time they do have looking for external sources of funding that could be put to better use for our residents.

“We may have to be content with allowing pigeons to roost in the façade of this building for a little while longer while we attend to more pressing matters.”

Cllr Kevin Clarke, of the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group, who had asked if funding for cleaning and maintenance was being sourced, added at the time: “Given the council’s economic growth plan aims to secure £4bn of regenerative investment into the city, can I urge the executive member not to take for granted how the appearance of its own assets undermines securing this investment.”

 

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