Hayes’s Beck Theatre is set to close its doors in January following a dispute between Hillingdon Council and Trafalgar Theatres. The closure, which follows a local authority decision to charge rent to theatre operator Trafalgar Studios, will be temporary while new management is found for the theatre.
With Trafalgar's contract set to cease in January, the council has said it had offered to renew the theatre operator’s lease at a ‘peppercorn rent’ and to continue being responsible for building repairs but confirmed it would no longer offer a subsidy as Trafalgar is a privately-owned commercial business.
However, Trafalgar has disputed the council’s claims, stating that it offered to operate on a subsidy-free basis. Ian Edwards, Conservative leader of Hillingdon Council, denied this, telling BBC London: ‘That's not true. If they [Trafalgar] wish to make that offer to me, I will take that tomorrow. The council is prepared to lease this property at a peppercorn rent, with the council responsible for external repair and structural repair but without an operating subsidy.’
Protest group Back the Beck has also accused the council of refusing to accept Trafalgar's offer. Commenting on Back the Beck’s protest, John McDonnell, independent MP for Hayes and Harlington, said: ‘They feel that the council has another agenda, which is possibly to let the theatre close and then sell off the land for development. What we hear, the current operator has offered to run the Beck Theatre without subsidy. Any other council in the country would grab their hand for that deal.’
In July, the agreement between the council and theatre was extended until December. Theatre director Steve Sargeant said: ‘We are deeply disappointed that this deadline has now passed without agreement. We must now start making exit plans to be activated once our agreement ends in January 2025. [The council has] so far been unable to provide us with any clarity around any proposed alternative operation of The Beck, and our concern, therefore, is that The Beck may close its doors.’
Trafalgar Theatres is still taking online bookings for shows at The Beck up to 1 June.