It closed in September 2023 after Raac was discovered.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has agreed to receive a further report in June on the feasibility of the work.

The council is looking at facilitating part time use of performance space in schools or colleges so productions can continue.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Council Leader, said: “We acknowledge the strength of feeling in support of ‘bringing the Harlequin back’ and we are committed to doing so.

“However, the critical nature of the RAAC panels means that any works to the theatre will be significant and complex and will take time to resolve – potentially up to five years.

“The indicative costs to remove the RAAC and undertake necessary works to bring the theatre back into use in its previous configuration are in the region of £10 million. We have committed to allocate up to £10 million for this purpose.

“Given the extent of the building disruption that removal of the RAAC will cause, our planned maintenance works would need to be brought forward, to avoid a further closure period of the Harlequin for building works not that long after.

“We will continue our discussions with the head leaseholder on the way forward.

“In addition, we have continued to look at a range of venues to enable alternative spaces for arts and cultural provision in the borough while the Harlequin is inaccessible. I’m delighted that we have some strong options on the table including our own unit five in The Rise, a modern space in central Redhill. We have also been in discussions with a number of schools and colleges about use of their facilities.

“We recognise the financial impact that the sudden and prolonged closure of the Harlequin has had on displaced users and we hope that setting up a temporary grant scheme will help towards their extra costs of using alternative venues and facilitate community provision for residents.

“We are pleased to have established a clear direction – both in terms of the theatre building and the interim performance options and I very much look forward to receiving further reports at Executive in the summer so informed decisions can be made.”

The full details of the options and recommendations put to the Executive can be found in the Executive report on the Council’s website.