Future of Clair Hall decided

Mid Sussex District Council rejects community asset transfer bid and proceeds with plans for facility.

At a Cabinet meeting on Monday 2 February, the council voted to reject a bid from the community group to take on the building and voted to go ahead with plans to replace Clair Hall with a multi-purpose facility with a focus on cinema.

Theatres Trust CEO Joshua McTaggart responded to the decision:

Theatres Trust understands the financial considerations that have led Mid Sussex District Council to pursue its plans to replace Clair Hall with an alternative cultural facility.

We added Clair Hall to our Theatres at Risk Register in 2022 in recognition that it was the only live performance venue in the local area and was well-used by community theatre groups before the pandemic forced its closure.

We know many people in the Haywards Heath community will be disappointed by the loss of Clair Hall. While Theatres Trust is pleased that the council has committed to developing a new cultural facility, we are disappointed that the proposal appears to be mainly focused on cinema and community facilities linked to this, with limited live performance or theatre use.

As the council now recognises Clair Hall as a theatre in planning-use terms, we are reiterating our offer of pro-bono expert support to ensure this new development proposal includes an appropriate replacement for the loss of Clair Hall.

We want to work collaboratively with the council, the new operator, and the selected developer to help facilitate the plans for a new cinema that includes a viable space which can meet the needs of local people, especially amateur theatre groups, who will be impacted by the loss of Clair Hall.