Councillors are to be asked to agree to a new 99-year lease of The Swan Theatre to the Worcester Theatres charity, to secure the building’s future as an entertainment venue.
The peppercorn lease would mean that the charity only pays £1 a year to continue to operate in the Worcester City Council-owned building, and its long-term nature would put Worcester Theatres in a stronger position to securing funding and donations.
The proposed lease will be discussed by Worcester City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee when it meets on 30 July. The board of Worcester Theatres supports the move.
Sarah-Jane Morgan, Chief Executive of Worcester Theatres, said: “Worcester Theatres are very excited by the prospect of having a 99-year lease on the Swan Theatre. It would allow us to feel a real security for our charity, support our ambitions for the long-term plans of the building and enable us to appeal for more funding, aiding us to continue to deliver a wide and diverse programme of events and participation activities for our audiences and continue to support the cultural provision for Worcester far into the future.”
Councillor Lynn Denham, Leader of the City Council and Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee, said: “Worcester Theatres do a fantastic job of running a great programme of arts and entertainment at the Swan Theatre. They have been providing fun for all the family and supporting community drama for many decades. This new lease will give them a long-term future at the Swan and shows the City Council’s commitment to Worcester Theatres. I hope the committee will support it.”
The committee will be asked to approve a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) of the Swan to Worcester Theatres in exchange for a 99-year annual peppercorn rent of £1.
The previous long-term lease on the building ran out in 2017 and the building has since been used on the basis of a ‘tenancy at will’, which has been renewed on an ad hoc basis. The CAT would provide greater stability for Worcester Theatre’s operation of the Swan.
If the CAT is agreed, the City Council would undertake a programme of repairs to the outside of the Swan. Future repairs would become the responsibility of Worcester Theatres.
