A HISTORIC former music venue that the Beatles once performed at has been put on the market.
Slough Borough Council has put the former Adelphi Theatre up for sale to “gauge interest” with potential buyers to find out its “potential value”.
The site in Bath Road, which is now being used as a Buzz Bingo Hall, was bought by the local authority in 2018 for £4.6m with the aim to re-use it as a mix-use performance space.
During its heyday, it saw huge performers take the stage, such as the Beatles, Roy Orbison, and guitar legend Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s.
But now the council is having to sell up to £600m worth of its properties and land in order to reduce its £680m borrowing debt and bridge its £479m blackhole.
The former Adelphi Theatre has been put on the market on the Avison Young website, which is the council’s property consultant.
A price tag is not listed on the webpage, but states in the brochure that the locally listed building has ‘conversion/redevelopment potential, subject to the necessary planning consent’.
The freehold is currently let to Buzz Bingo, who pays £40,000 per annum. The lease is to expire next August.
READ MORE: Slough concerts we saw at The Adelphi Theatre
Cllr Rob Anderson (Lab: Britwell & Northborough), lead member for financial oversight and council assets, said: “The former Adelphi is being marketed to gauge interest in the site and thus potential value and the kind of interested purchaser along with any likely future use options.
“There is no member approval in place for a sale yet, but it is important we find out the true value of our assets before deciding what to do with them.
“We bought the Adelphi as a historic Slough landmark, and we will weigh up all the available options before deciding what to do with the site.”
READ MORE: Adelphi Theatre demolition rumours dispelled by Slough councillors
In December 2020, senior councillors dispelled misinformation that the council was eyeing to demolish the historic music venue for housing.
Council leader James Swindlehurst (Lab: Cippenham Green) said at the time they wanted to make the former theatre “live again” by turning it into a mix-use space for performers.
However, with this latest move, it is uncertain if those plans will come to fruition.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here