Concerns over £30m revamp of Shakespeare theatre

A senior councillor insisted the £30.5m cost of renovating a theatre believed to have been used by William Shakespeare would not come at the expense of other projects.

Concerns have been raised about how work on King's Lynn's 15th Century Guildhall will be paid for.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough councillor Alun Ryves said the authority was yet to secure "a coffee bean" of funding for the work.

But deputy leader Simon Ring insisted it would "not be funded at the expense" of other projects, while the council said it was looking for finance from "a range of potential sources".

The government has already promised to hand over £10.1m, and Historic England has offered a £721,330 grant to finance roof and infrastructure repairs.

The building is owned by The National Trust and leased to the council until 2050.

Approval to develop the site into what is hoped will be an international tourist destination was given last July, and preliminary work began late last year.

The council has said the project could create more than 100 jobs over the next 15 years.

Last summer it committed to borrowing up to £16m for the project while also advertising for a consultant - at a cost of £48,000 - who could seek additional funding.

The theatre claims documents show that Shakespeare acted at the venue and the council hopes links to the Bard would help attract investment.

However, independent councillor Ryves – who supported the project previously - said he was concerned how fundraising efforts had progressed.

"Councillors were persuaded to embark on this road of doom by repeated assertions that there was a tsunami of money 'waiting in the wings', ready to be thrown at the project," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Not a coffee bean has been received, beyond a roof repair grant that was unrelated to this daft project."

Deputy leader Ring - who is also an independent - told a full council meeting: "I can also assure members and residents that the Guildhall will not be funded at the expense of any other committed projects."

A spokesman for the council pointed out some of the money had already been received.

They added that "securing significant third-party funding takes time" and the council was continuing "to actively explore funding opportunities, locally, nationally and internationally, from a range of potential sources."

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