A theatre which closed during the pandemic could be turned into a cinema under new council plans.
Clair Hall in Haywards Heath shut its doors in March 2020 and hasn’t reopened since.
Now, Mid Sussex District Council plans to replace it with a three-screen cinema, a stage for live performances and a restaurant.
It is not yet clear whether this would involve knocking down the existing building, or converting it.
The future of the site has been under scrutiny since it was closed. Last year, the cabinet supported a mixed-use development, with the land value from the housing funding a new cultural facility. But things have changed.
Leader Robert Eggleston said it had been “absolutely impossible” for the council to ignore professional advisers who said the appetite for such a development – or for a theatre-only option – was zero.
He added: “People may be uncomfortable with that news, people may be unhappy with that news, but that is the reality.”
Mr Eggleston said the council and its advisers had looked closely at a number of proposals from the community but “the reality was that no viable scheme came forward to replicate what is on that site now.”
The council will now start looking for a partner to run the new facility with the hope of having someone in place by the summer. After that, a developer will be sought.
Mr Eggleston said: “If we can pull this off, this is a real place-making opportunity for the town. We all know that there are challenges along the way. I’d like to think that, as a council, we don’t run away from challenges, we face them and we try to resolve them.
“But I really do believe that, if we can pull this off, this is going to be of significant value to the town and to the district.”
Paul Kenny (Lab, Haywards Heath Franklands) was unhappy with the proposals.
Speaking to the cabinet, he said officers and the steering group needed to look at it again and come up with something closer to what was previously on the table.
But Anne-Marie Cooke, cabinet member for communities and communications, said: “This is an important distinction for Clair Hall and recognises the history of the venue while providing an entertainment and modern cultural offering to satisfy Mid Sussex residents for decades to come.
“I believe that we have achieved the best procurement specification to move on to the next stage in providing a new Clair Hall.
“The venue will provide a range of interesting jobs and contribute a new focal point to the town to support local business.”
