Questions hang over crumbling theatre reopening

A reopening date for an unsafe Surrey theatre is yet to be confirmed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Harlequin Theatre in Redhill was closed in 2023 after it was found to be riddled with dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The earliest hoped-for reopening has been 2028 but the leader of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (RBBC) has said it depends on how long the operator's fit-out work takes once the building has been made safe.

Early estimates said emergency repairs and modernisation - which have yet to begin - would last six to seven months, but this has now doubled to between 12 and 15 months.

Work had been expected to start in June but has now been pencilled in for November.

RBBC leader Richard Biggs said he was confident the local authority could get an "indicative" reopening date in the next couple of months.

He said: "It will be remiss of us at the moment to actually state an opening time when we do not have the final detail.

"I know that work is moving forward, fast and furious."

Raac was widely used between the 1950s and 1990s as a cheaper alternative to concrete but only lasts about 30 years.

More than 230 schools in England were confirmed to contain the material in 2023.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, X, and Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.