Council agrees additional funding for theatre regeneration in Berwick despite Reform calls for delay

The county council will now contribute £7.5million to the £36million overall scheme after the Borderlands partnership also agreed to put forward more cash.

This represents an increase of £2.6million in the council’s contribution. The increase will be funded by borrowing.

The rise in project costs has been put down to inflation in the construction sector, as well as assessment work that has given a greater understanding of the necessary strategy needed for what is described as a “complex” site.

The proposals, which had already been given the green light by the council’s cabinet, were agreed by the local authority at a full council meeting.

However, members of the Reform opposition group had initially called for a pause on the scheme to carry out “stress testing” of additional options.

Reform councillor Trevor Austin said: “How long will these continued increases go on? We need to understand the council’s full exposure – what happens if Borderlands funding is reduced or cancelled, if the work is delayed or if interest rates rise?

“We’re not convinced that all the options have been subjected to financial stress testing so members can compare the risks. Regeneration is important, but so is protecting the public purse.”

The council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration Coun Richard Wearmouth insisted that the funding increase was the only real option.

Coun Wearmouth said: “This is a long-standing strategic aim of the council. The current building is not fit for purpose.

“We’re proposing to fund the works in their entirety. Other options available to the council include cancelling the project, which would be a great shame for the town and not something we want to see.

“We could refurbish the current building, but that would cost £11million and that would be unlikely to qualify for Borderlands funding so that is not a viable option. We would be millions worse off.

“The current price is valid until the end of the month. The next meeting of full council is in January – I would argue we should not wait as the cost could go up substantially.

“Officers have done detailed analysis with bringing this forward. That is what gets done.

“Can we not have this nonsense around the term stress-testing? It’s literally what we do.”

Berwick councillor Georgina Hill urged her fellow councillors to vote for the cash injection and to dismiss Reform’s call for a delay.

She said: “The real north gets very little funding. This is a wonderful opportunity. There’s no reason for a delay, please, please, please vote for this and let’s get on with this project.”

Fellow Berwick councillor Isabel Hunter added: “Berwick can’t afford to lose this project.”

But Coun Patrick Lambert, who represents the nearby Norham and Islandshires ward, was less convinced. He felt the council should look further at redeveloping the existing site and claimed the council’s figures on footfall were “fanciful”, adding: “They’re like something out of Jackanory.”

The plans were voted through by 42 votes to two, with 16 abstentions. It means work can finally start on the site.