Theatre and library close over concrete fears

An inspection and survey will be carried out at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill

A theatre and a library in Surrey have closed due to fears over dangerous concrete.

An inspection and survey will be carried out at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill after the potential discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) on Tuesday.

A Harlequin Theatre and Cinema spokesperson said the closure was a “precaution”.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council said following the discovery, Redhill Library, which is based in the same building as the theatre, would also close while inspections took place.

“We hope you understand that safety must be our number one priority,” a council spokesperson said.

All performances due to take place at the Harlequin Theatre in the coming week have been postponed.

"We’ve taken immediate steps to start a thorough inspection and survey of the building and the Harlequin will remain closed while this takes place,” a spokesperson for the venue said.

"Ticket holders for performances this week will be contacted directly regarding their tickets. Please don’t call us in the meantime.

"We know this is disappointing for our many visitors.”

Regarding the library, a council spokesperson said the closure was "a precautionary measure", adding: “While we understand this is disappointing for library users, we welcome them at nearby libraries in the meantime.”