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.”