Theatre ready to step in as rising costs threaten spa town’s iconic Royal Hall

Concerns have been growing over the future of the Royal Hall because of a lack of events at the historic venue, which was officially reopened by Prince Charles in 2008 after a £10.7m revamp.

Harrogate Council announced last month that it was considering leasing the hall to an external operator such as Harrogate Theatre.

The chairman of the theatre’s board, Coun Jim Clark, confirmed yesterday that a bid to take on the Royal Hall will be drawn up before the plans are considered by the council in September.

He said: “The potential of the Royal Hall is immense and it is a tremendous asset. It is a national treasure, and we are confident we can help maximise its potential.”

Coun Clark has helped turn around the fortunes of Harrogate Theatre since he became board chairman five years ago. He has agreed to stay on for another 12 months to oversee the bid to take on the Royal Hall after his tenure had been due to end in September.

Taxpayers are having to foot a daily bill of £1,000 to operate the venue, which staged just 57 events during 2010-11.

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