Asbestos and fire fears shut wedding and gig venue
Cumberland CouncilAsbestos has been found at an events and wedding venue which shut without warning for "safety improvements", bosses have said.
Cumberland Council said it had made the decision to temporarily close Whitehaven Civic Hall together with operators Rosehill Youth Theatre Trust.
Bootzie Richardson, general manager, said asbestos was found at the venue and there was a faulty fire alarm, while the council confirmed a recent inspection concluded "the current arrangements for fire safety are inadequate".
A spokesman for the Labour-led authority said alternative arrangements were being discussed for the 15 events, including two weddings, impacted by the closure. The adjoining library is not affected.
"The council's ceremonies team are working closely with those couples who have weddings planned during the period of the temporary closure to ensure they have support to find alternative venues," the spokesman said.
The authority said it hoped the building would reopen during the summer, but Richardson said: "The local area has suffered a major loss in the venue and there's some local talent and organisations who use the venue quite a lot who we've had to find alternatives for."
Events scheduled to take place this month at the Solway Hall - the building's main events space - include a K-pop tribute concert and a Frankie Valli tribute band.
Several venues in Cumbria have been closed due to issues with their buildings, including the Forum in Barrow and The Sands Centre in Carlisle.
