Suddenly shut Surrey theatre found to have critical RAAC risks throughout

“Almost every single panel” in Redhill’s Harlequin Theatre is riddled with crumbly RAAC concrete and will require enormous safety work to put right, a new report has found. The theatre and cinema complex shut suddenly in September 2023 after the dangerous material, which can collapse, was found.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council commissioned a safety inspection to understand the scale of the problem to learn how, and how much, it would cost to put right. The problem is so extensive and widespread that it will have costly implications for the rest of the site.

Leader of the council, Councillor Richard Biggs, responding to a question from the public, said: "Unfortunately the report has shown that almost every single panel in the flat roof, the pitched roof and areas of the internal floor have been classified as ‘red’ - which is a critical risk.

READ MORE: Surrey gardens flooded with sewage for second time as treatment plant overspill leaves 'boggy' smell

READ MORE: M25 Surrey crash where driver took drugs kills two passengers

“That means that without significant remediation or removal of the RAAC panelling the Harlequin Theatre must remain closed for safety reasons alone. The council and the head leaseholder will be meeting in early December to assess the impact of the findings..

“The detailed findings of the survey will be issued to the council in the coming days for a review which will give us a rough indication of costs for the RAAC element. However, any consideration for RAAC removal or remediation will undoubtedly impact on other elements of the buildings such as the heating and vent systems, meaning that we can not consider the costs of the RAAC in isolation.

“The council has therefore also commissioned a full building condition survey, the outcomes of which will be received during the week commencing the third of December.”

Decisions on how to move forward are expected to take place in January when the council’s executive committee meets. The council also expects to name suitable alternative 500 capacity venues to be used as temporary new homes for the borough’s arts - notably for the Reigate and Redhill Music & Drama Festival which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.