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A council's plans to take back control of a beloved theatre in an effort to save cash were dramatically halted tonight in a knife-edge vote.
Earlier this month, Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) announced plans to terminate its contract with Parkwood Theatres, which manages the day-to-day running of the venue, and take control of the theatre in an effort to save money.
The decision was made in a private session, meaning it was not open to the public, and prompted a furious public backlash and fears that the theatre could close for good.
MBC later clarified that it would reopen the theatre when viable to do so, but a petition calling for the authority to take the funding withdrawal off the table continued to climb in numbers, and is now at 7,300, showing that many wish Parkwood Theatres to remain.
Councillors and Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant questioned how MBC planned to the run the theatre and asked for more detailed approaching for its reopening.
The decision of the economic regeneration and leisure (ERL) committee to effectively mothball the venue until it could reopen, was called in by a group of councillors and reviewed this evening by the policy and resources committee in a mammoth four-hour long meeting.
A motion put forward by Cllr Jonathan Purle, who was also a part of the group asking for the decision to be reviewed, called for the termination of the contract to be deferred and bought to the the ERL committee in January. It was passed with eight votes for and seven against. This allows for more time to assess the situation regarding coronavirus, the motion says.
During the meeting, numerous members of the public spoke passionately about the theatre and its vital role in the community, and some also pointed to the good work by Parkwood.
Several things emerged during the meeting, firstly that under it's plans, now on ice, the council did not want to run the council 'in-house' and would look to procure a theatre operator when "commercially" and suitable to do so, Cllr Martin Cox, committee chairman said.
Members of the public also asked whether Parkwood Theatres had considered reducing the subsidy while the theatre was closed.
But Cllr Cox said the company had "made it clear they require their full subsidy," despite putting on no live theatre. Cllr Paul Harper, chairman of the ERL committee said Parkwood had also asked for a disclaimer saying they did not have to put on any activities or show until March 31.
At the start of the meeting, Cllr Cox was quizzed by members of the public who pointed out that with vaccines on the horizon, live theatre may be able to come back sooner than was previously thought.
However, Cllr Cox said the current capacity of the theatre under coronavirus restrictions was 100 and it could take ten months for a vaccine to be administered to the whole country.
"That's why we are planning for the worst and if better comes we will deal with that as and when it presents itself," he said.
Speaking afterwards, Cllr Purle said: "Instead of jumping the gun by terminating the theatre operator, we now have a pause and the chance to discuss the best way of securing the Hazlitt for years to come."
"A huge thank you for everybody who lobbied, those who attended and spoke tonight and everyone who signed the petition."
Mrs Grant welcomed the committee's decision. She said: "I would like to thank councillors for their diligence in coming to this position.
"However, we now have no time to waste. The Hazlitt Theatre is a crucial cultural asset for our town and we must do everything possible to prevent it from closure.
"MBC, Parkwood Leisure, the Arts Council and others now need to use the time this pause allows to put their heads together and identify a plan to allow the Hazlitt to reopen in full as soon as Covid restrictions allow.
"I will be meeting with senior figures from MBC in the coming days to discuss a way forward in more detail."
Because of the extra pressures created by the pandemic, the council faces an overspend for the current financial year, so cannot afford to continue paying for a closed theatre, it previously said.
MBC faces a budget gap of more than £2 million for next year and will be looking at where it can save money, with cuts predicted. During this evening's meeting Cllr Cox said for the next three years the council will be looking for savings.
Parkwood Theatres managing director Tony Doherty said the company remain committed to working in partnership with MBC and operating the theatre until 2028, when its contract comes to an end.
Mr Doherty said: "We have enjoyed a successful partnership with MBC over the last eight years and whilst we would have hoped for a positive decision on 25 November, we are still optimistic that will be the outcome in January.
"Our desire to continue to deliver shows and experiences for the local community is as unwavering as ever.”
A paper regarding the future of the theatre will now be presented to the ERL committee on January 21.
