Croydon Council "simply does not have the finances" to keep Fairfield Halls open during a £30m redevelopment of the venue, the leader of the council has claimed.

Tony Newman, responding to an open letter from campaigners protesting against a full closure, said he could not "even contemplate" a phased refurbishment because of cuts in Government funding.

Last month the Fairfield board agreed to close the venue in July to allow redevelopment work to begin, following months of difficult negotiations with the council.

Chief executive Simon Thomsett had publicly opposed plans for a two-year closure, echoing the fears of campaigners and Conservative councillors that the venue might never re-open if it failed to win back audiences.

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In a lengthy emailed letter to Cllr Newman sent on Tuesday, Andy Hylton, lead organiser of the Save Our Fairfield campaign, said he "fully welcome[d] the proposed £30m spend on this much needed refurbishment".

Open Letter To Cllr Newman - By Andy Hylton.pdf

But Mr Hylton warned the "extraordinary decision" to close Fairfield for two years would mean "los[ing] everything that has gone before...the people who are emotionally invested in it, the skills of the people who currently work there, the loyal audiences who support it, the talented artists who play there".

He also questioned the council's estimate that it would cost an extra £8m to keep the complex open during the revamp, and claimed the building was "perfect for a phased approach" because of its division into three separate venues: Concert Hall, Ashcroft Theatre, and Arnhem Gallery.

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He went on: "As a casual technician at Fairfield Halls, I know many of the full time technicians are very sceptical both of the designs themselves and of the works being completed properly so that the finished product is efficient and fully functional."

Mr Hylton, who works as a film director, also called for the full publication of a report by consultancy firm Mott MacDonald into the planned regeneration of Fairfield and the surrounding College Green.

He said this would reveal the "negative aspects" of a full closure that had been "repressed" by the council.

Explaining that his response to Mr Hylton's letter was "trying to be warm and friendly", Cllr Newman today spoke in stronger terms about his commitment to a full two-year closure: "Even if we had the money, we wouldn't do it anyway".

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Annual Government funding for the council is set to be slashed by £44.7m between now and 2020.

But Cllr Newman has trumpeted the £30m investment in Fairfield as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to establish "one of the most prestigious arts and entertainment venues in the country" in Croydon.

He said a recent visit to the venue had reinforced his belief that a phased redevelopment was not a viable option.

Responding to Cllr Newman today, Mr Hylton repeated his invitation for the council leader and Labour's council member for culture, Timothy Godfrey, to take part in a public meeting next month to discuss the venue's closure.

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