Pendle Leisure Trust is 'disappointed' to announce that The Muni Theatre will no longer be ready to open in the spring as originally planned.

During the planned extended renovations as part of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, Pendle Leisure Trust say that further work is required to make The Muni 'fit for generations to come'.

The Muni will now re-open mid-summer 2024.

Alison Goode, chief executive of Pendle Leisure Trust, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we’re having to further delay the opening of Colne’s beloved Theatre.

"We feel the frustration of our patrons and we wish, as they do, that we could re-open The Muni as originally planned.

"However, it’s simply not possible without further work being done to make The Muni as safe as possible, which I’m sure everyone would agree is the most important factor.

"For the health and safety of all the visitors to the venue, we simply can’t open the building to the public without this work going ahead!

“We thank The Hippodrome for being able to host the Pantomime, Jack and The Beanstalk at such short notice but due to their forthcoming season schedule already in place, the fact that they are volunteer-run and not a commercial enterprise like the Muni, and their own schedule of works as part of the Levelling Up Fund, it just isn’t possible to transfer any further shows from The Muni to The Pendle Hippodrome.

"Therefore, we’re currently working hard to reschedule as many of the shows from the spring season as possible."

During each stage of the £1.6 million renovations, the contractors check each new area of the building whilst it is exposed.

The latest report has highlighted further structural work is essential if the building is to be able to open to the public.

As with many old buildings, the best-laid plans often need to be amended, as is the case with the 122-year-old Muni Theatre. 

Boys, the construction company currently working on The Muni as part of the improvement works, said: "With each layer of history that is revealed during the much-needed renovations, we continually inspect the structure of the building.

"Unfortunately, the latest inspection has identified that further works are needed to maintain the structural integrity of the building.

"We continue to work tirelessly to get The Muni Theatre ready for the patrons to enjoy the beautiful venue."

Yvette Saunders, The Muni Theatre manager, is contacting production companies in due course to reschedule as many of the shows as possible and all tickets already purchased will be honoured for the new dates.

Any dates that cannot be rescheduled will have their tickets automatically refunded, so there is no need to contact the Box Office.