What is happening with the Harlequin theatre?

The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema has been shut since 26 September 2023

As a meeting is held to decide the next steps for a Surrey theatre which was shut due to unstable concrete in its building, BBC Surrey political reporter Jack Fiehn looks at the situation so far.

The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema in Redhill, which has a capacity of over 500 people, closed in September 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered.

The executive at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council (RBC) is set to meet on Thursday to look at whether the theatre can be brought back into use, as well as to discuss the creation of a new arts and cultural venue.

But what will happen next?

What are the plans for the theatre to reopen?

A report has recommended that the Raac be removed and that works should take place to enable the Harlequin to reopen.

It also says that a planned maintenance programme or "a more comprehensive remodelling and modernisation of the venue" should not be brought forward to allow that to happen.

The theatre was closed after Raac was found

The council has also been advised to appoint a specialist company to market and seek expressions of interest for the Harlequin to be run by a third-party operator, with a budget of up to £40,000 for this work, funded by council reserves.

It also says RBC should allocate up to £4.5m in funding from council reserves to fund a design team and the works required to bring the theatre back into operation.

Council leader Richard Biggs previously said: "We remain committed to bringing the Harlequin Theatre back into use and securing its future."

Will there be more arts facilities provided?

Another report says that a new arts and culture venue should be created in Unit 5, a studio style performance space with around 180-200 seats which is part of The Rise, a development in Redhill which includes housing and The Light cinema.

It recommends that £1m of funding from council reserves should be used to fund the design and the set-up.

Once again, the report says the council should appoint a specialist company to look at having Unit 5 run by a third party, with a budget of up to £30,000.

What do residents and opposition councillors think?

There has been a lot of unhappiness, including from performance groups, about the loss of the theatre since it closed, as well as concerns raised about what will happen in the future.

The Harlequin Support Group, which has been campaigning for the venue to be repaired and reopened, has said that although it welcomes the plans, there are questions about how money will be spent.

For example, in January, RBC agreed to allocate up to £10m for the theatre and "cultural offerings" in the borough.

There are also worries that outsourcing the management of the Harlequin to a third party could lead to community groups being forced out.

The report says this type of operator is the best way of making the theatre "more resilient to financial pressures".

The leader of the Green party at RBC, Jonathan Essex, told BBC Radio Surrey that current proposals meant it would take too long to get the Harlequin open again.

"The idea that it is going to take two more years, I think, is ridiculous," he said.

Residents have attended council meetings to campaign for the venue to reopen

Is this the final decision?

RBC said a number of the proposals would need to be agreed at a meeting of the whole council.

That includes the £4.5m funding for a design team and the works on the Harlequin and the £1m to fund the design and set-up at Unit 5.

The next full meeting of the council at its headquarters in Reigate is due to happen on 22 July, which is when a final vote is expected.