Worcester’s Swan Theatre Faces Accessibility Challenges Amid Levelling-Up Funding Review

The chief executive of a theatre has stated that the venue would continue to be “not fit for purpose” should the levelling-up funding, previously committed by the former government, be retracted. Worcester City Council was allocated £5 million for cultural and heritage initiatives, of which £155,000 was designated for upgrades at the Swan Theatre. However, following the recent election, the Labour party initiated a review of billions of pounds in pledged levelling-up funding, thereby jeopardizing the theatre’s planned project. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) explained that it was compelled to undertake this review due to inheriting £22 billion in unfunded spending commitments. The planned enhancements for the Swan Theatre specifically involve the installation of an accessible lift and an accessible toilet. Sarah-Jane Morgan, chief executive of Worcester Theatres, the organization managing the venue, stated that securing funds for the work would be “very difficult” without the allocated levelling-up money. She elaborated, “It is a building that has seen little updating, modernisation or improvement since it was built in 1965 and although the staff has accessibility and inclusion as part of their core values, the building and its infrastructure does not support this.” Morgan further asserted, “Without the levelling-up funding the Swan Theatre is a venue that is not fit for purpose in terms of its accessibility for our disabled patrons.” She indicated that installing the lift and toilet represented initial steps toward implementing “life-changing” enhancements at the venue. A spokesperson for the MHCLG affirmed that growth remains the government’s “number one priority” and emphasized its commitment of £3 billion for “local growth” investments in the upcoming year. They added, “This government inherited £22bn of unfunded spending commitments and we have therefore been forced to make the difficult decision to review these previously announced projects.” The Local Democracy Reporting Service, which reports on councils and various public service organizations, compiled this news. For more updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.