Landmark venue will be out of action for Borough of Culture year

Catford’s Broadway Theatre will not be reopening in time for most of Lewisham’s year as London Borough of Culture due to spiralling costs of urgent building works.

The borough's Grade II listed art deco building urgently needs to be rewired and a new fire alarm system, CCTV cameras and replacement lighting installed. It also needs general repairs and redecoration.

But the council is now unable to  commit to cost of the work – originally budgeted between £4m and £5m – so the renovation has been delayed. It says the works are too urgent to delay until after the Borough of Culture, but "subject to no further delays" the building will reopen by late autumn 2022.