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More details have been revealed about how a council intends to run the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone, as it plans to take back control of the operation in an attempt to save money.
Yesterday, Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) announced it was ending its contract with Parkwood Theatres, who run the Earl Street venue "to protect the taxpayer and the Hazlitt".
Fears rose over the weekend that the beloved theatre, which has been closed since March, would be shut down for good as the council pulled its subsidy from Parkwood Theatres, prompting a backlash from the public, councillors and Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant.
However, the council has announced it intends for the venue to reopen with live show and space for community groups, but it is not yet known when that will be because of the uncertainty around coronavirus restrictions.
Paul Harper, chairman of the economic regeneration and leisure committee which voted on the controversial decision on Thursday hinted it could be another year until the Hazlitt reopens for performances and maybe used for other purposes in the meantime.
Cllr Harper said: "We are effectively having to mothball it at the moment but when we can we want to turn the taps back on."
The decision to terminate the contract will be reviewed by another council committee, after a group of councillors called it in.
It comes as Parkwood Theatres managing director Tony Doherty said the company was blind sided by the council's decision to take control of the theatre, and only knew when the authority's press release was sent on to them yesterday.
Helen Grant also didn't know about the council's plan to take back the ownership when she spoke to them on Friday and said that "mothballing" the theatre wasn't good enough. She asked where the community groups who use the theatre are going to go.
Thanks to the pandemic, the council faces an overspend for the current financial year, so cannot afford to continue paying for a closed theatre, it says.
Maidstone council faces a budget gap of more than £2 million for next year and will be looking at where it can save money, with Cllr Harper predicting cuts to services.
The council's current budget for the theatre is £284,000 a year, £243,000 of which is paid to Parkwood Theatres, the rest on the building which the council leases.
By cutting the contract, the council no longer needs to pay the monthly instalments to Parkwood Theatres while the Hazlitt is not running because of coronavirus restrictions.
While some arts venues were able to hold performances with socially distanced audiences, this isn't possible for the Hazlitt because of its "narrows and confined" nature, Cllr Harper said and would not be financially viable either.
However, it is not just professional performers that use the theatre, musical theatre groups hold their lessons there and community groups such as the scouts also use it.
Questions have been raised over where they can go while the theatre lies dormant.
In response, Cllr Harper said: "The council will help any of the community groups who will have used the Hazlitt." Alternative venues may be provided, once the groups are able to meet again.
In the short term, alternative uses may be sought for the theatre, although these plans are at the very early stages.
"Our desire is at an appropriate time to open for live performances but in the interim to try and see if we can seek alternative uses rather than it sitting empty for say perhaps a year, that would be one of the options we are looking at. It could be a community use or commercial use."
He stressed that the council's ambition is to bring back "vibrant" performances to the Hazlitt as soon as they are in a position to.
Cllr Harper said the council is not in a position to employ the Hazlitt staff currently with Parkwood Theatres. More than 40 people work there.
A final decision on the termination of the contract will be made on Wednesday, November 25, by the council's policy and resources committee after a group of councillors called for it to be reviewed.
Mr Doherty said the company had not been told about plans for the council to take on the theatre's running before a press release was issued.
He said: "Staff are sitting there, waiting to know what's the next move, We haven't been instructed anything by the council."
"At the moment all we really do is carry on, we haven't been given any instructions."
An Council spokesman said: "Officers met with Tony Doherty on Friday 6 November 2020. During that meeting officers informed Mr Doherty that a report on the future of the Hazlitt was to be considered by the Regeneration and Leisure Committee on Thursday 12 November.
"Options for the future of the Hazlitt Theatre were discussed with Mr Doherty during that meeting including an option to terminate the contract between Parkwood and the council.
"Since that time, officers have been in contact and met with Mr Doherty and Parkwood Theatres to discuss the future of the Hazlitt on several occasions."
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