The ever-changing fortune of Croydon's Fairfield Halls – 30 years ago in The Stage

This week, Croydon’s Fairfield Halls finds itself at the centre of a crisis over its £70 million redevelopment, with local councillors calling for a police investigation into the circumstances that allowed the project to go £37 million over budget. But 30 years ago, the arts centre was front-page news for a different reason, as we reported on the fact that it had become one of the first civic arts venues to become an independent charitable trust.

“Croydon unveiled its scheme this week to transfer the prestigious Fairfield Halls complex to a charitable trust, boosting speculation that masses of local authority theatres will follow suit this year,” we reported.

“The borough’s Resources, Finance and Policy committee decides on February 26 whether to approve the recommendation from the Fairfield ruling body. If, as expected, it backs the plan, then the halls will pass to a trust from autumn of this year, says Fairfield Halls committee chairman Peter Macdonald.

“Said Macdonald: ‘We believe the steps we are taking will maintain the council’s interest in Fairfield Halls while allowing the charitable company sufficient flexibility to operate commercially. As a charity Fairfield would qualify for a range of financial benefits and as an independent company it would not be held back by public sector trading restrictions. Clearly these are significant advantages.’”

The venue did become an independent trust, which ran the arts centre until it closed for refurbishment in 2016. Three days later, the trust went into administration. BH Live was appointed by the council to run the venue in 2017.