Council approves ‘urgent’ repairs to Blackpool Grand Theatre 

Planners have given the go-ahead for the Grand Theatre in Blackpool to undergo “urgent” repairs after it was discovered that rainwater had leaked through parts of the roof earlier this year.

The work on the grade-II listed building is expected to cost half a million pounds and be completed by spring 2024. It is hoped that a funding bid to Arts Council England will help finance the project.

Blackpool Council said repairs were "urgently required” to make the theatre watertight but added that work "would not affect the character or significance" of the building.

In a submission supporting the plans, the Theatres Trust cautioned that the venue's future could be in question without the intervention.

It described the theatre, which opened in 1894, as “one of the finest works of renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham” and said that the renovations would “address deficiencies with the building which, if left unresolved, would result in continued deterioration and compromise the building’s significance as well as its ability to operate”.

The Trust added: “It is an important and valued cultural venue for Blackpool, hosting a busy programme which both meets the needs of local people as well as contributing to Blackpool's visitor offer.

"Therefore, efforts to support its ongoing conservation and operations are to be supported."