Bromley Council accepts bid for theatre

Bromley Council has accepted an offer for Churchill Theatre in a move it says will secure the venue's future.

The 781-seat venue is currently owned by the council and has been managed by Trafalgar Group since 2017.

Following concerns that the theatre’s 1970s structure was “beyond economic repair”, the council announced plans to update it in October 2023, with an estimated cost of up to £28m.

Initially, the council intended to transfer the freehold of the building to Trafalgar Group. However, the authority revealed in March that it would be opening it up to bids from private developers and later listed the freehold on Rightmove for unconditional offers.

Council Leader Colin Smith previously said that while he hoped Trafalgar would still win the bid, there was a duty of care to ensure they “raise as much revenue as possible for the council’s taxpayers” and insisted that whatever the outcome, the site will retain a “fully provisioned” theatre operating to the existing standards of the Churchill. 

The council’s executive has agreed to the proposed offer. Once legal agreements are finalised, the bidder’s identity will be made public.

Speaking about the successful bid, Councillor Yvonne Bear said: “This is very welcome news, not just for the theatre and everyone who values it but also for Bromley town centre as a whole and for council taxpayers.

“This is a compelling and exciting opportunity to secure the future of the theatre for generations to come. We look forward to working with the theatre and the developer in the coming months and will share more news when we can.”

Helen Enright, Chief Executive Officer of Trafalgar Theatres, said: “We are excited about the future of the Churchill Theatre and will be pleased to work with the bidder to develop Bromley’s theatre offering."