Harlequin Redhill: No Reopening Date, Price Due 30 October

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council says it cannot yet give a reopening date for the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill. The theatre closed on 27 September 2023 after RAAC concrete was found. It has now been shut for three years.

Councillors asked in July for a published timetable with a target reopening date. The council’s written answer, put to the Executive on 24 September, offers monthly progress updates instead.

The same papers give the firmest dates so far for the building work.

The dates the council has given

The first four rows come from the update given to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 September. The last is what the council leader told that committee, according to its draft minutes.

The start date has two conditions. Apex’s price has to come in within budget, and the head leaseholder of the building has to give permission.

Why there is no reopening date

The report to the Executive says a reliable date “cannot yet be provided”. It gives two reasons that come after the builders leave:

• the operator’s own fit-out schedule
• the operator’s programming of acts

Both, it says, “sit outside the Council’s direct control”.

Officers recommended supporting the councillors’ motion only in part. The report proposes monthly updates covering progress, upcoming stages, risks and reasons for delay, “without committing to a fixed public timetable”.

We cannot confirm from the record that the Executive agreed this. The statement of decisions published on 28 September does not list the Harlequin item.

What caused the delay

The report names three factors:

• the complexity of the project, including the procurement rules councils must follow
• extra work added to the scheme: a new air-handling system and replacement curtain walling
• the design and compliance work those additions needed

It says the additions “have extended the programme by approximately six months”.

Where the money stands

The scrutiny update says current cost estimates are “within the approved budget for RAAC and essential works”. The leader told the committee there was “no indication” the final price would exceed it, the minutes record.

A councillor asked whether the 15% contingency could absorb a higher price. An officer replied that the contingency is part of the approved budget, not extra money.

The Executive asked Full Council in June 2025 to set aside £4.5 million for the work, as we reported in our story on the Harlequin roof planning application.

Unit 5 at The Rise: £850,000 goes to councillors on Thursday

The council plans a second, smaller venue in Unit 5 at The Rise on Marketfield Way. The scrutiny update describes it as a flexible space for workshops, rehearsals and occasional small performances.

On 24 September the Executive agreed to ask Full Council to add £850,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy money to the capital programme for the fit-out. Full Council meets on Thursday 1 October.

Approval would not mean the money is spent. The Deputy Chief Executive told the scrutiny committee that spending would need a business case first. The final contribution depends on talks with the operator, the minutes say.

The council has a preferred operator for both venues. It has not named them. It is still deciding whether Unit 5 could open before the Harlequin does.

The pressure on the council

The motion that prompted the report went to Full Council on 22 July. According to the council’s own summary of it:

• the closure had by then passed 1,000 days
• the Redhill Business Guild estimates nearby businesses have lost more than £2.5 million in trade
• more than 100 organisations and residents signed an open letter asking for a clear plan

The £2.5 million figure is the Guild’s estimate as quoted in the council report. We have not seen the Guild’s workings.

What it means for you

• Do not plan on a show at the Harlequin before 2028. A start in late November 2026 and 12 to 15 months on site puts the end of building work between late November 2027 and February 2028. The operator’s fit-out comes after that.
• 30 October is the date to watch. If Apex’s price is within budget, work can start. If it is not, the council has said it would have to reassess.
• You can still comment on the roof. Comments on the planning application close on 2 October. Our earlier story explains how, and our planning applications page explains the register.
• Thursday’s council meeting is public. It starts at 7.30pm at the Town Hall in Reigate and is webcast. The agenda is in our council this week round-up.