Barrow’s Forum could be closed for up to two years from next March.
The news was revealed as Westmorland & Furness Council’s cabinet agreed to recommend that an extra £6 million be pumped into the £17.5m scheme to revamp the market hall after asbestos was found by additional investigations.
Full council will make a final decision at a meeting next month and the cash will come from funding that has already been approved.
The scheme is an integral part of wider ambitions to help Barrow become a more attractive, thriving and vibrant place for people to live and visit, being delivered through the £200m Team Barrow programme working with the Government and BAE Systems.
However, the next phase of asbestos removal – due to begin at the end of March – will require the use of heavy machinery that will cause vibration.
The council said it had commissioned an independent expert assessment of the likely impact on the neighbouring Forum, which shares some of its structural components with the market building.
It said: “This assessment has determined that there is a risk that asbestos, currently safely contained in the Forum building, could be disturbed by the works starting in the market.
“This means, to protect the public and staff, the council has taken the difficult but responsible decision to close the whole of the Forum building while this work on the market hall is carried out.
“Initial estimates suggest this phase of work could take around two years.”
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council’s cabinet member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said: “We have now received that report and it is clear that, in the interests of the safety of everyone, public, performers and staff, we will not be able to keep the Forum open while those works are being undertaken in the market hall.
“The temporary closure of The Forum is hugely regrettable and will clearly impact on shows and events planned for next year and beyond. I am really sorry this has to be done and would like to apologise to everyone who will be inconvenienced by the closure.
“I know the Forum staff are particularly disappointed by this news but will be pulling out all the stops to ensure we do our very best for our customers, promoters, local groups who enjoy their turn on the Forum’s stage and everyone else who uses the Forum. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our staff, who work so hard year-round to make the Forum a great venue.”
Events before the work starting in March will go ahead as planned, including this year’s Christmas production Santa Express.
The authority said it was working with promoters and event organisers to see if it could relocate or reschedule shows and conference facilities.
It added: “We are also looking at options to relocate the popular café and toilet facilities.”
Tickets for events scheduled for post-March 2025 are being taken off sale immediately. Should those events be subsequently rescheduled for an alternative venue, ticket sales will be reopened.
There is no risk to current users of the Forum building, including customers and staff. No traces of asbestos have been found in air quality tests and the building will remain open until the next stage of asbestos removal works at the market hall start at the end of March 2025.
The theatre space in the Forum building is currently closed following a roof leak which disturbed some asbestos above the main theatre, but this has been safely isolated with the closure of the theatre.
All other asbestos in the Forum building is currently safely contained. Any risk associated with asbestos in the Forum only becomes an issue if it is disturbed by the heavy machinery work in the market hall, which will not start until the end of March 2025.
