Councillors unite to say new Fareham Live hall will save taxpayers money

Fareham Borough Council’s executive committee will determine whether to make a deal with an unknown contractor to operate the new arts and cultural facility next week.

Following BH Live’s withdrawal from the project in October 2022, the council has been searching for a new operator which will be revealed later this month.

It was reported in May last year that the cost of constructing the theatre went over budget by £3m – amounting to £16.9m.

Councillor Katrina Trott, leader of the opposition group, said the new theatre ‘is costing a lot of money’ but she thinks ‘it is a way forward’ for the regeneration of the town centre.

She said: ‘When the old Fareham community centre was demolished, much against our will. It was always promised that we would have another community centre for Fareham town.

‘So there is going to be a community facility within Fareham Live which I see as a good point – this is going to be much better equipped than Ferneham Hall.

‘The monetary aspect has been very closely looked at and it will be costing us less than the old Ferneham Hall did.’

Cllr Sean Woodward, leader of the council: added ‘When our administration came into being, which was 1999, Ferneham Hall was costing council taxpayers £750,000 per year.

‘Now apply 24 years of inflation to that and it was costing in today’s money millions of pounds to run. We absolutely determined that it will be down to the low hundreds of thousands.

‘The money will be paid for by developers, every penny of it will come out of Community Infrastructure Levy for the next eight years.

‘Find me another town where they’re delivering a £17m arts and culture facility for their people and you won’t find one.’

‘It’s a fantastic facility, an 800-seat auditorium, studios, community space, a bar and cafe, lots of car parking which is going to have superior acts to what Ferneham Hall did.’

The old Ferneham Hall has been demolished and rebuilding has started.