Local authorities

Bromley Council has authorised proposals to provide a "fully provisioned" replacement for Churchill Theatre after rumours were growing that the site was being "flogged".

Following concerns that the theatre’s 1970s structure was “beyond economic repair”, the council announced plans to update it in October 2023, with an estimated costs of up to £28m.

Initially, the council intended to transfer the freehold of the building to Trafalgar Group, which has been managing the theatre since 2017. However, the authority revealed in March it would be opening it up to bids from private developers and later listed the freehold on Rightmove for unconditional offers.

Speaking at a meeting, Council Leader Colin Smith said that despite “rumours being spread by unknown third parties” of “flogging” the building, there has to be a theatre on the site that must be “fully provisioned” operating to the existing standards of the Churchill. 

He added that while he hoped Trafalgar would still win the bid, there was a duty of care to ensure they “raise as much revenue as possible for the council’s taxpayers”.

Concerned the sale may lead to a change of use, the Liberal Democrat group started a petition to guarantee the site remains a theatre following its redevelopment, which has received over 5,600 signatures.

In response to Smith's statement, Liberal Democrat Councillor Julie Ireland said: “The thing that we hear most about from people, and we get emails all the time, is that they feel they have been left in the dark.

"To hear your reassurance today that there will be a theatre on that site of the same size and capacity will mean a huge amount to people who have come out and signed in their thousands the petition to save the theatre.”
 

Green space in Solihull will be used to stage more than 40 free cultural events this summer, the town's council has said.

The Birmingham Mail reports that 'Fresh Air Theatre', an extensive cultural programme from Solihull Culture, is supported by funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund. 

It will feature performances from world-class theatre, dance, music and physical theatre companies.
 

Powys County Council has announced that Llandrindod library will be housed in the Radnorshire Museum so that the two organisations can share space, resources and staffing.

The council, which approved the disposal of the library's current building earlier this year, said combining the organisations was a positive example of how services can be remodelled to improve outcomes and make longer-term savings.

The move is part of its Sustainable Powys strategy to reevaluate how services are delivered to meet budget pressures and follows a model already adopted in Brecon, Llanidloes and Welshpool.

Councillor Richard Church said: “Our libraries and museums are trusted spaces, free to enter and open to all. Delivering a joint service from one building means we can provide a sustainable and long-term future for both while continuing to deliver and extend the health and wellbeing benefits that libraries and museums can offer.”

“Radnorshire Museum is recognised as one of the country’s most significant tourism assets and brings substantial economic benefits to the town," added Councillor Jake Berriman, "Co-locating Llandrindod library with the museum means opening hours can be increased, encouraging more visitors to the area.

“It is a great opportunity to create a new cultural space in the town whereby people can explore the rich history of Radnorshire, borrow a book, or look at some of our fascinating objects all under one roof.”

Taunton Town Council has granted almost £110,000 to help local arts organisations suffering funding difficulties meet their running costs.

The Brewhouse Theatre received £28,940, while the Museum of Somerset got £30,500, and the town's Creative Innovation Centre was awarded £49,500.

The move follows measures by the council to "secure the future of Taunton" following a financial crisis at Somerset Council, increasing its share of council tax and taking on some services previously operated by the county.

Vickie Robbins, Executive Director of Taunton Brewhouse, told BBC Radio Somerset that, without the funding, its Community Learn Programme would have been cut. 

"It's very important to us to keep that going," she said. "With the support of Taunton Town Council, we will be able to keep that going for at least another year, which is great."

Meanwhile, Sam Astill, Executive Director of South West Heritage Trust, which runs the Museum of Somerset, said the "serious chunk of money" would offset some of the museum's challenges.

"It's a grant towards core costs," he said. "That grant will, in turn, help us continue to be able to deliver our programmes for schools, for families and young people, and to deliver exhibitions at the museum, so it's a really important investment to the future of the site."

Councillor Tom Deakin said: "When we took the difficult decision to increase our precept for the 2024/25 financial year, we had in mind the need to ensure that we had funding available to secure the future of Taunton as a prosperous town, considering the financial crisis at Somerset Council."

"With three of the town's key cultural attractions, the Museum of Somerset, The Brewhouse Taunton and the Creative Innovation Centre all telling us through their applications that they were at risk due to lack of funding, it was only right that we stepped in."

The transformation of a former IKEA in Coventry city centre into a “new cultural landmark” will start this August after construction firm ISG was named as the project’s developer.

The leasehold of the superstore, which closed in 2000, was bought by the council, which announced plans to remodel it into a cultural hub and arts venue in 2021. Construction is due to be completed by autumn 2025.

The project - The Cultural Gateway - will create artists’ studios, post-production filming facilities, galleries and a cafe, while the site’s former warehouse will become a temperature-controlled storage facility for artwork collections.

Councillor David Welsh said: "The start of the construction process is a milestone to be celebrated, and there will be even more to come as we see changes to the building that will soon become a cultural destination in our city."

Louise Daville, Director at ISG, added: “This is a bold and innovative vision to reimagine former retail space as a cultural hub for the city of Coventry.

"The Cultural Gateway brings together complementary, yet distinct, partners within a key central location, providing a richly diverse experience for visitors, students and academics."