Executive commits £10 million to The Harlequin Theatre

It follows confirmation in December 2024 that the majority of reinforced autoclaved concrete (RAAC) throughout the building is classified as critical risk.

The Executive considered the outcomes of the intrusive RAAC and building surveys, the findings from community engagement activity, proposals for an interim arts and culture offer whilst the theatre remains inaccessible, along with observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 January.

The Executive agreed recommendations that will progress and support a diverse arts and cultural offer for the local community, including:

• Allocating up to £10 million for the Harlequin Theatre and cultural offer
• Progressing work to provide a further Executive report in June seeking budgetary approval and authority to appoint a design team to work up costed implementation plans to enable a decision on the way forward for the Harlequin in the Warwick Quadrant.
• Progressing work for an Executive report in June 2025 providing a detailed costed feasibility and potential operator analysis to enable a decision to be taken for the creation of a circa 200-seater Redhill performance venue, which could cater for commercial and community hirers for the next three to five year
• Facilitating part time use of performance space in local schools or colleges and Horley Community Centre to provide a local alternative for some previous community hirers of the Harlequin.
• Maintaining the Harlequin’s net revenue budget for 2025/26 at £360,000.
• Supporting eligible previous community hirers with alternative rehearsal and performance space through small enabling grants on a one-year pilot basis, subject to annual budget approval, with the potential to extend
• Supporting the expansion of the Council’s existing arts development offer to support arts development opportunities in Redhill and borough-wide, subject to annual budget approval.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Council Leader, said: "We acknowledge the strength of feeling in support of ‘bringing the Harlequin back’ and we are committed to doing so.

“However, the critical nature of the RAAC panels means that any works to the theatre will be significant and complex and will take time to resolve - potentially up to five years.

"The indicative costs to remove the RAAC and undertake necessary works to bring the theatre back into use in its previous configuration are in the region of £10 million. We have committed to allocate up to £10 million for this purpose.

“Given the extent of the building disruption that removal of the RAAC will cause, our planned maintenance works would need to be brought forward, to avoid a further closure period of the Harlequin for building works not that long after.

“We will continue our discussions with the head leaseholder on the way forward.

“In addition, we have continued to look at a range of venues to enable alternative spaces for arts and cultural provision in the borough while the Harlequin is inaccessible. I’m delighted that we have some strong options on the table including our own unit five in The Rise, a modern space in central Redhill. We have also been in discussions with a number of schools and colleges about use of their facilities.

“We recognise the financial impact that the sudden and prolonged closure of the Harlequin has had on displaced users and we hope that setting up a temporary grant scheme will help towards their extra costs of using alternative venues and facilitate community provision for residents.

“We are pleased to have established a clear direction – both in terms of the theatre building and the interim performance options and I very much look forward to receiving further reports at Executive in the summer so informed decisions can be made.”

The full details of the options and recommendations put to the Executive can be found in the Executive report on the Council’s website.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema was closed in September 2023 following the discovery of RAAC. For background and previous updates on the Harlequin see: Harlequin Theatre & Cinema | Harlequin Theatre & Cinema | Reigate and Banstead
2. Unit 5 is an empty unit in The Rise, a new development in the centre of Redhill, very close to Redhill train station. The Rise is home to The Light – a cinema and leisure complex, Posadero Lounge, Creams and Tesco.