UK venues closing due to RAAC concrete fears

nme.com:

Preston Weekender music festival, which is currently still set to go ahead.In a statement, Preston City Council said a “small number of future events were planned for this year” and they are currently “in discussion with the organisers about these”.A spokesperson said [via IQ]: “We are taking a cautious and ‘safety first’ approach by securing the Grand Hall and Charter Theatre auditoria, until specialist consultant structural engineers can carry out a more detailed inspection.

Unfortunately, we understand that this may take some time, as the experts required to carry out this very particular type of work are naturally prioritising school inspections.”The Royal and Derngate auditoriums and Northampton Filmhouse were closed with immediate effect and the operators say they’re urgently discussing with their landlords, West Northamptonshire Council, to investigate and plan remedial works.“We are deeply saddened by this discovery and to have to close our doors at this time, particularly as September is usually an incredibly busy and important time for the theatre,” said chief executive, Jo Gordon. “We are keenly aware of the disappointment that this will cause to audiences, visiting companies and our staff alike, though we know they’ll understand that their safety is always our primary concern.