A community theatre in North London has served the local council with court papers over plans to hike its rent, accusing it of "destroying theatres" by pricing them out.
Members of East Lane Theatre Company claim they have never been shown "any evidence for the valuations" by Brent Council which initially raised the annual rent by £73,500, but the local authority suggests the theatre has been "shielded from the rising cost of property in London" for many years.
East Lane Theatre Company has been putting on plays in Wembley for nearly 90 years, with 65 of those years being at its Vale Farm site. Then in 1988, when Elms Hall - the venue for the club's performances - was demolished, members built their own 75-seater theatre in the Vale Farm Sports Complex near Wembley Stadium.
When the club's lease expired in 2022, at which point it was paying £1,500 a year in rent, the council initially proposed hiking it to a staggering £75,000 - a 5,000 per cent increase. Last month, that offer dropped significantly to £5,000 a year but with a caveat - the building must also be used as a nursery.
Speaking at a recent Brent Council meeting (July 7), East Lane Theatre member Susan O'Connell claimed the current buildings are "completely unsuitable for this use".
She said: "It is one thing to be safe for adults but the additional requirements for a nursery would mean the theatre as it is would have to be removed and would, therefore, cease to exist."
Susan was presenting a petition signed by more than 1,700 residents, which called on the council to seek a "proper negotiated settlement" through constructive dialogue before the matter went to the courts. Members want to agree a rental price that can be "realistically afforded" by the club.
Addressing councillors, Susan said: "East Lane Theatre Club is the only purpose-built theatre in the borough. We present the best of theatre, ranging from the classics through to modern playwrights across a variety of genres. The club, now a charity and totally volunteer run, is open to anyone to perform or help.
"We have a loyal and increasingly diverse audience who appreciate reasonably priced, quality theatre on their doorstep. The club has never received any subsidies from the council, with all of our funding coming from ticket sales, membership fees, and donations."
Having "heard nothing from the council in over a year" following the expiration of the lease in 2022, the council served the club with a Section 25 notice - a notice used when a landlord wants to end a protected business lease - with the proposed rent being revised to £75,000.
Susan said that to call this demand a shock to the membership and audience members was an understatement.
The original demand of £75,000 was then reduced to £25,000 when the council appointed a second surveyor "for reasons never explained", according to Susan, before being dropped again in mid-June to £5,000 - with the nursery condition attached.
However, the council refused to extend the Section 25 notice deadline and, with only three working days left, the club says this meant it wasn't allowed adequate time to consider the offer. Therefore, it claims to have had no choice but to serve the council with court papers to "protect [its] position" and hopes the council will have to justify its three "wildly different valuations".
In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Property, Cllr Teo Benea, said the petition shows "a depth of feeling" that is recognised by the council and this kind of "civic spirit and community offer" is appreciated by those that use it.
She added: "It is exactly because we value our cultural sector and we want it to thrive that Brent has committed to growing our cultural offer but I also must be honest with residents and groups alike - the financial situation facing councils is grave."
The Cabinet Member pointed to "more than a decade of austerity" that has meant the council has lost more than £200m in government funding, meaning it is forced to make "impossible choices" between keeping services running, housing families in need and maintaining its assets.
She added: "[..] officers reviewed the property as part of our borough-wide property strategy - one that applies to all community assets - and can discuss a new rent that reflects today's realities and our legal duty to ensure best value for public property.
"We hope East Lane Theatre will continue to engage with officers productively so that we can explore the options available. There might be pathways forward through partnership, phased arrangements, or external fundraising support. But they require collaboration and a desire to meet with the council at the halfway mark."
Despite requests, Susan claims the council has "never produced any evidence" for its valuations and the new property strategy "appears to work against small community groups such as ours" - ones that can't achieve commercial returns but provide community or cultural services.
She added: "We understand that the council needs to ensure maximum gain from its properties but would argue that each property should be considered for the unique benefits it brings.[*] Brent may well be destroying [amateur theatres] by the back door process of pricing them out."
Cllr Benea acknowledged that the increase had "come as a shock" to the theatre group and she appreciates the "strength of feeling" but claimed the decision "is not about pushing groups out" but about "[ensuring] their sustainability in a new financial reality".
She said: "No decision is taken lightly by this council and we must protect public money but I want to assure all residents that this council will continue to support grassroots art.
"East Lane Theatre itself has benefited from a lease for many years which was shielded from the rising cost of property in London. Despite the financial constraints we face, we will always act in a way that is fair and sustainable for all."
