A town theatre has cancelled all performances and closed with immediate effect after the discovery of potentially dangerous crumble-prone concrete.
Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre’s closure comes after a survey found that the roof of the venue is largely made from reinforced autoclaved aerated concert (RAAC) possibly compromised by water coming into the building.
North Lanarkshire Council confirmed the closure saying that “a full intrusive survey is being carried out”.
The venue was due to run Grease the Musical from Tuesday, September 12, to Saturday, September 16, however, all shows have been cancelled.
A council spokesperson said: “An initial inspection of the Motherwell Theatre and Concert Hall has found that the majority of the roof is made with RAAC planks.
“The inspection also found some evidence of water ingress to the roof. These findings mean that a full intrusive survey must be carried out.
“Unfortunately it is not possible to operate the building as normal while this survey takes place and with the safety of the public and staff firmly in mind, we have decided that the theatre and concert hall will be closed with immediate effect until further notice.
“The team at the concert hall will be touch directly with ticket holders for performances affected.”
The multi-purpose entertainment venue first opened its door in 1970 and underwent a £6m refurbishment project in 2010 which saw the entire building transformed.
The news of the theatre’s closure comes after the University of Stirling was forced to close parts of its student union due to RAAC.
RAAC was commonly used during the construction of public sector buildings from the 1950s until the 1990s.
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