The Stage

Bournemouth International Centre expansion given council go-ahead

Published Monday 8 March 2004 at 17:35 by Jeremy Austin

Permission to expand the capacity of Bournemouth International Centre’s Windsor Hall by almost 3,000 has been granted by Bournemouth Borough Council as part of an £18 million redevelopment programme.

Currently the main hall at the seafront venue holds 3,600 seated patrons and 4,300 standing. Should the expansion go ahead - it still needs additional funding from the South West Regional Development Agency - that will rise to 4,200 people seated and 7,200 standing. Other developments include the closure of the swimming pool created a 1,500 sq m flexible space holding up to 3,500 and the refurbishment of the foyer, catering and bar areas and front of house. A new meeting or break-out space of 1,200 sq m will also be created.

It is also hoped that the new development will create a further 1,300 jobs and generate an extra £21 million for the local economy. A decision from SWDA is expected in March and the work will take place throughout the year, but it is hoped with minimum disruption.

BIC/Pavilion director Kevin Sheehan said: “This decision to invest in the BIC has been a very important one for the future of the town as a whole and has not been taken lightly. But it means that the venue will continue to be firmly on the map as one of the UK’s top choices for organisers and promoters, with greater flexibility and long term benefits to everyone involved in the business.”

Bournemouth’s venues have enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent years. The 1,500 seat Winter Gardens, condemned under the council’s previous Tory administration, received a new lease of life after the Liberal Democrats gained control last year. It is now due to reopen in 2006 as a venue professionally run by a charitable company.

The other two main venues in the town have not fared as well. The Pavilion Theatre, a sister venue to BIC, is for sale to, the council hopes, a commercial operator prepared to invest £8 million in its refurbishment. Meanwhile the Pier Theatre is to shut after the authority threw out a bid from a consortium to run it because of problems with the finer details of the bid.