Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre

Significance

Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre forms part of Motherwell Civic Centre complex, a landmark grouping of modernist public buildings near the centre of Motherwell. The complex includes municipal offices and council chamber, a split-deck shopping area and office block. The centre remains a headquarters of local government in North Lanarkshire. 

 The building was subject to an international architecture competition for its design, overseen by A. G. Sheppard Fiddler, Vice President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

The Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre are located on the lower ground level to the west of the complex, positioned back-to-back with shared back of house facilities. The roof of the two-story building sweeps up to express the form of the fly tower. 

 A substantial refurbishment in 2011 saw metal canopies added above both entrances and lifts installed. Both theatre and concert hall auditoriums retain their shaped-timber panelled ceilings, lighting fixtures and projecting brick baffles to modulate the acoustics. 

The Civic Centre remains one of Motherwell’s most significant landmark buildings. It is Category B listed.

Why is this theatre at risk?

The theatre was added to the Theatres at Risk Register in 2025. 

Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre closed on 12 September 2023 due to the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The planks were found to comprise most of the roof structure. It was considered to be in a deteriorated condition, with issues including water ingress, exposed reinforcement and compromised structural performance, and assessed as presenting a high to critical structural risk and therefore immediately closed on safety grounds.  The building has remained closed ever since. The remainder of the Civic Centre is unaffected and remains open. 

In 2024, it was reported that the full intrusive survey of the Concert Hall and Theatre was complete and that an options appraisal had been carried out and was due to be presented to the council for consideration. The report, which contained information on four other buildings in the borough also affected by RAAC, was finally brought to council in December 2024. RAAC was found to affect a significant proportion of the theatre’s roof area and the costs to repair and replace just the RAAC plank, costed at in excess of £10m and therefore deemed economically unviable. A recommendation to demolish the building was subsequently approved, with a planning application submitted in May 2026. 

The concert hall and theatre are not considered structurally to impact on the remainder of the Civic Centre, however, the architectural, heritage and social loss to the Category B listed complex is great. 

Theatre potential

Motherwell was a busy venue for amateur companies, touring productions, and pantomime up until its closure due to RAAC. 

Since the required closure of the theatre, the council undertook an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA). This considered the effects of the loss of the facility on protected groups and the wider community. The EQIA recognised the importance of cultural provision in Motherwell and identified the need to maintain access to arts, culture, and performance opportunities through alternative arrangements. The council is striving to achieve this by relocating performances to Airdrie Town Hall and hosting the 2023 / 24 pantomime at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility which is located on the outskirts of Motherwell. The Lanternhouse in Cumbernauld is also hosting some additional events. However, both Airdrie Town Hall and the Lanternhouse are a considerable distance from Motherwell and require public / own transport, meaning that the local community is left without direct access to the arts and cultural provision. 

Current situation

Theatres Trust is in contact with North Lanarkshire Council and has provided some high-level feedback on the report taken to council in 2024 regarding concerns over the demolition of the building and the long-term cultural offer. 

Following the 2024 decision to demolish the building, North Lanarkshire Council began discussions with Historic Environment Scotland regarding options for the building. More detailed investigation by the council has subsequently suggested that a full repair and refurbishment of the theatre and concert hall taking account of associated works, building services, asbestos removal, and heritage consideration would involve significant capital costs, estimated to be in excess of £30m, excluding risk and inflation.  

In 2025 applications for planning permission and listed building consent for full demolition of the Concert Hall & Theatre and to replace them with a car park were submitted. While we appreciate the financial challenges faced by local authorities, we objected to the proposal on the basis that we did not consider it to have been demonstrated conclusively that demolition was necessary, seeking further scrutiny of cost estimates and options for retention.  

Any application for demolition of a theatre must be supported by a clear statement on how the social and cultural impacts of closure are mitigated. For Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre, this includes setting out how theatre and cultural provision will continue to be delivered across North Lanarkshire, and how local communities will be supported during the period of transition.  

As noted above, following closure, services and programming previously delivered from the theatre have been reconfigured across the council’s wider cultural estate and partner venues to maintain continuity of provision where possible. However, Theatres Trust remains concerned regarding the lack of local provision and the exclusion of groups unable to travel to other towns to access arts, culture and live performance. Read our response to the planning application. 

The council continues to review longer-term arrangements for sustainable cultural provision in Motherwell as part of its wider asset and service planning. We have also met with officers to discuss this and offer what support we can regarding reprovision. It is essential that any decision about the future of the theatre is based on long-term considerations and offers value for money for the council and local taxpayers. Furthermore, it must enable the council to deliver a strong and vibrant cultural offer within a facility that is fit for purpose and that can accommodate the live performance demands of the town.