Hertford Theatre £6m over budget

The redevelopment of Hertford Theatre is expected to be £6m over budget when it opens later this year, bringing the final cost to £30.2m.

The project for the redesign and redevelopment of Hertford Theatre was first approved in July 2018 by the previous Conservative administration, with a budget of £18.8m. Since then, the project faced challenges resulting from increases in costs of labour and materials. The budget was increased by £4m in early 2022 before work started n the redevelopment. More recent cost verification has shown that the project is now expected to cost £30,200,000 to complete in its entirety.

Officers for East Herts Council have been working with contractor GPFL and consultants Bristow to explore all options to reduce the final cost of the project.

Business consultants Barker Langham have also been involved in updating the theatre's business plan in the light  of the increased costs. Modelling suggests that a full fit out and completion of the Theatre could start to return an income to the Council after two years, provided that the Council’s overall borrowing could be reduced by up to £6m. This reduction could be achieved through the sale of some EHDC assets. However, the exact assets need to be identified, verified and agreed by councillors.

A meeting of the Council has been scheduled for Thursday 18th January to discuss various options open to the council, with full completion being the recommended course of acion. Other options include mothballing the smaller studio theatre or even the entire building following completion of construction work.

Town Council contribute to studio theatre fitout

Hertford Town Council has agreed to contribute to the fitting out of Hertford Theatre’s new studio theatre space with a grant of £325,000.

The studio theatre will seat 150 people and, together with increased seating in the refurbished main auditorium, will give the town-centre arts complex much greater capacity. 

Paul Williams, Chair of Finance, Policy and Administration at Hertford Town Council said: "The new Hertford Theatre complex will make a significant difference to the cultural life of Hertford and we are pleased to be part of this exciting project. A thriving arts scene represents a significant asset to Hertford and will drive footfall into our historic county town from miles around."

The redeveloped theatre will include three bespoke cinema screens allowing screenings of newly released films, a main auditorium with seating for 550, a studio theatre with seating for 150, a new dance studio and a riverside café.