Carlisle Sands Centre pantomime cancelled with auditorium Raac closure

The Sands Centre auditorium in Carlisle was forced to shut in September when roof panels were found to contain Raac. Credit: Cumberland Council

This year's pantomime at the Sands Centre in Carlisle has been cancelled due to concerns over the safety of the building.

The Sands Centre Auditorium was first closed in September when panels containing reinforced autoclaves aerated concrete (Raac) were found in the roof.

It will remain closed for the foreseeable future until the roof panels can be replaced with mitigating steps to allow the auditorium to continue hosting events ruled out. It means performances like the pantomime will not go ahead as planned.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “Based upon the findings of the structural assessment and the engineers' recommendations, action needs to be taken to ensure the safe use of the auditorium.

“The decision to accelerate plans to replace the Raac roof are now underway. It is the right decision and one that protects the safety of the public whilst also providing the investment opportunity to modernise the overall experience when attending events at The Sands Centre.

The Sands Centre Auditorum, pictured during a children's performance earlier this year, will not reopen until Raac in the roof is replaced. Credit: ITV Border

“Plans were already in place for the roof, so we have already taken steps to get the replacement work underway. We will appoint a contractor soon to get things moving.

“This, unfortunately, means that the auditorium will be closed for an extended period. We will know more about timeframes and costs when a contractor has been appointed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause however safety is at the heart of any decision we make.”

GLL spokesperson added: “Once a timeframe is made clear, we will make every effort to reschedule or provide ticketholders with their available options for all affected events. At this time, there is no need for customers to contact the box office, and rest assured that we will be in touch to discuss options with ticket holders once we’re able to do so.”

The decision to close the events space does not impact on the day-to-day running of the main leisure centre which will remain fully open.

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