Clair Hall

Significance

Clair Hall was built as part of a 1971 civic complex, which included theatre provision and community facilities. It was always intended as a performance venue and has been used by community groups.

The venue is significant due to the lack of alternative provision within the area. There is a masterplan for the surrounding area, but it does not include replacement cultural provision. No alternative venues with comparable cultural provision have been identified in the area.

Why is this theatre at risk?

Clair Hall was added to the Theatres at Risk Register in 2022.

The building closed in March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.
In September 2020, Mid Sussex District Council cabinet voted to remove Clair Hall from the existing leisure contract and permanently close the venue without consultation. Theatres Trust objected to this decision. There is disagreement about the venue’s previous lawful use. The council categorises the venue as a community hall (planning use class F2b), rather than Sui Generis, as most buildings in theatre use are. Sui Generis means the building is not in any use class and is afforded special protection whereby, under normal circumstances, any change of use requires planning permission.

The campaign groups working to save Clair Hall have sought legal advice on this and have been advised that the venue should be categorised as Sui Generis and that it should be able to return to this previous lawful use. As a performance venue, it also benefits from exemption from demolition without full planning permission, irrespective of its formal use class. Theatres Trust also holds this view.

Following a period of consultation and the consideration of proposals from the community, which is detailed below, Mid Sussex District Council has confirmed a decision to proceed with the redevelopment of the Clair Hall site. While this includes a commitment to create a replacement cultural facility, the details of this have yet to be confirmed. Until it is clear that those plans include adequate replacement provision for Clair Hall, and that those plans can be realised, Theatres Trust will consider this theatre to be at risk.

Theatre potential

Public consultation was undertaken throughout 2021 that demonstrated strong public support for the return of the building to cultural use. Those who responded highlighted a current lack of provision for the arts in the area and therefore the need to retain the existing provision at the Clair Hall site. The consultation also expressed support for refurbishing the building rather than redeveloping it. The full report can be viewed on the council’s Engagement Hub.

While operational improvements would be required to create a viable business model for the building, Clair Hall was a functioning performance venue until the forced closure.

Current situation

The cabinet has extended the licence to the NHS to continue to use Clair Hall as a vaccination centre. The council has been allowed to use Clair Hall for this purpose under current temporary permitted development rights, which allow local authorities to use buildings to deal with national emergencies such as the pandemic without the need to apply for planning permission for change of use.

The current proposal from Mid Sussex District Council to redevelop the site follows a period of consultation exploring options for the site.

BOP Consulting was appointed by Mid Sussex District Council to explore the feasibility and development of Clair Hall. Theatres Trust met with BOP Consulting to discuss feedback on the draft report and the  final report proposed two options to take forward being:

• Refurbishment of the existing buildings by a party who can raise the operational expenditure to maintain and run the existing buildings on a leasehold basis.
• Development of the site by a party who can use it as a cultural / community facility and other uses on a leasehold basis.

In early September 2023 the council shared the work of Montague Evans and Auguarde Consulting in a public engagement event. This revealed that the consultants had concluded that the most viable way forward was for the council to work with a cultural partner and a developer to build a new venue at no direct cost to the council. This would involve the demolition of the existing building and a scheme of mixed-use development on the site with housing adjoining the new cultural venue.

At a cabinet meeting of the council in September 2023 support for the development proposal was agreed in principle, but  agreed there would be an opportunity for alternative community proposals to be put forward and assessed. 

Following an open call, the community proposals were assessed by an independent technical panel with expertise in the cultural and voluntary sector and the built environment. Save Clair Hall was the only group to submit a full proposal, but the technical panel concluded that, when assessed against the council’s criteria, the proposal did not provide a viable option for the future of Clair Hall. In light of these findings, it was recommended that the council proceed with the redevelopment option, and this was confirmed by a decision of the council cabinet in July 2024.

In August 2024 the council issued a statement confirming that it plans to go to market and inviting proposals from developers and potential operators to create a mixed-use development for the site that is viable and sustainable. The council has committed that any redevelopment of the site must begin with a cultural facility.

Theatres Trust will continue to provide guidance to Save Clair Hall and any other interested community groups to ensure that the needs of the community are fully considered in the redevelopment proposals. We are also ready to work directly with the council as the proposals are developed to ensure that there is an appropriate replacement facility for Clair Hall.

Main image, Clair Hall by Colin Kenward.