Swan Theatre in Worcester saved despite plans for new venue

The 58-year-old Swan Theatre in Worcester is to remain open

A theatre has been saved from closure despite plans to create a new performing arts space.

Plans to sell the 350-seat Swan Theatre in Worcester to pay for the multimillion-pound regeneration of the Scala and Corn Exchange buildings have now been scrapped.

The council plans to revamp the Scala Theatre and reopen it as a venue.

Proposals for the newly developed site to become the Worcester Theatres headquarters have also been dropped.

The charitable trust currently runs the 58-year-old Swan Theatre as well as the city's Huntingdon Hall.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "While we will not have a role in operating the new Scala venue, we are very pleased the project is continuing to develop and look forward to seeing how the space will be designed and operated as a new arts venue accessible to everyone."

The city council's plans for the Scala Theatre and the northern side of the city centre have been revised several times since nearly £18m was awarded by the government in 2020.

The cost of the construction project has almost doubled, latest figures show.

Plans by the city council to revamp the Scala Theatre have now risen to £13m - almost double the cost from three years ago.