A historic theatre in the heart of Greenwich has joined the list of 'at risk' venues, after takeover plans fell through due to the pandemic.

The Grade II listed Borough Hall, built in the 1930s on the same site as the former Town Hall, has been unused since 2018, when it was home to Greenwich Dance.

Theatre company Selladoor was poised to reopen the art-deco hall as a 640-seat venue, with a bar and restaurant, until their deal with Greenwich council fell through in 2020.

Theatres Trust, a charity that campaigns to protect the UK’s theatres, has now added Borough Hall to its ‘risk register’, which aims to bring public attention to the threat of closure.

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan says: “We are now starting to see the true extent of the effects of the pandemic on the UK’s wonderful theatre buildings, hitting well-loved community theatres as well as historic theatres that had been protected by other uses like being bingo halls.

“Theatres Trust would urge anyone who owns a theatre building to consider its long-term value as a performance space and work with us to keep these buildings in use for their communities.”

Borough Hall is riddled with structural problems, including asbestos, which could cost at least £10m to fix, according to 2019 estimates.

Only some of the building is owned by the council, which dismissed to possibility of redeveloping itself as too expensive and complex.

In July 2019, theatre production company Sellador announced plans to reopen the venue in Spring 2021, primarily hosting theatrical and West End-style productions.

Negotiations with Greenwich Council collapsed in October 2020, as the cabinet agreed to put the building up for sale.

Councillors previously expressed concerns that the redevelopment of Borough Hall would cause problems for Greenwich Theatre due to competition.

Borough Hall is one of five London venues on the list, along with theatres in Palmers Green, Streatham, Tottenham and Walthamstow.

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