Stockport councillors have reiterated their commitment to re-open the Forum Theatre in Romiley as quickly as possible. 

At a Werneth Area Committee meeting yesterday (Monday 22 January), local ward councillors discussed when and how the theatre could return to its normal running, but emphasised that there was no 'quick fix'. 

The Forum closed in September 2023 following a change in government guidance regarding RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete). As a result, NK Theatre Arts - which occupied the building - is facing an uncertain future.

Whilst the Council had been aware of RAAC in the building since 2017, James Kington - Assistant Director of Estates and Asset Management for Stockport Council - maintained: "The theatre was not closed because we found anything particularly scary or dangerous. It was closed because of a fundamental change in guidance."

Options for re-opening vary. One method is to install a temporary structure within the building, to provide structural support to the areas containing dangerous concrete. 

Another is a more drastic overhaul of the structure; a more permanent solution, but one which would be more expensive and could take upwards of a year. 

The Council owns the Romiley Forum Theatre building itself, but it is let out to NK Theatre Arts (Image - Alasdair Perry)

Compounding the issue is the fact that, as yet, no national funding package exists for theatres in the same way it does for schools and hospitals.

Finding temporary accommodation for the theatre has also been difficult. Speaking of the costs of building a temporary space, Mr Kington said: "The costs are hugely significant. In our opinion [...] that would be better spent on the actual theatre, rather than on a temporary structure."

Councillors from the Bredbury Green & Romiley / Bredbury & Woodley wards were unanimous in calling for a swift re-opening. 

Cllr Lisa Smart, who chaired the meeting, said: "We as councillors are fully committed to getting the theatre back open safely as quickly as possible, and will do what we can to get the funding."

Cllr Smart added that she and Cllr Frankie Singleton had written a letter to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for a funding package to help re-open the theatre.

The UK Government issued new guidance on RAAC in August 2023 (Image - SWNS)

Cllr Smart added: "This is a big issue that affects all of our community, and we as local councillors are very clear about the hugely vital role that the theatre - and the work that NK Theatre Arts is doing - plays.

"Safety has to be the key priority - we need our community to be safe and happy."

In a similar vein, Cllr Joe Barratt added: "The key thing is we collectively try and find a solution to this. I agree with Cllr Smart and Cllr Singleton's efforts to try and command government to do something about it, because I think there is a requirement. [...]

"We cannot, in our year as Town of Culture, have a situation where we are looking potentially at the closure - in terms of operations - of a cultural body that has done so much for Stockport for many years. We cannot have that in our Town of Culture year."

Until this point, most RAAC removal contractors have been working on school and hospital buildings (Image - SWNS)

Cllr Mark Roberts also said: "I think it's worth saying how important NK Theatre Arts has been for the cultural community within Stockport [...] The business plan needs to be to ensure that NK survives. [...]

"This is an issue that is really keenly felt within our community. [...] The focus absolutely has to be how we move forward."

Speaking at the meeting, Darren Stannage - Company Manager at NK Theatre Arts - said: "For so many children, [The Forum] is their first step into theatre."

He added that the closure was having "a really distressing impact on NK Theatre Arts". 

"I've got 25 employees who are really worried about their future", he said. "We can't sustain the losses. We've lost £56,000 since September. It's very hard without any indication of how long the closure will be. 

"We do look forward to a thriving theatre again. [...] We would support a plan that works towards attracting significant external funding."

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