THE county’s main theatre venue has been told that East Lothian Council will not provide any financial guarantee for auditors as it faces delays to roof work needed in order to reopen.

The move comes as it is revealed that the Brunton Hall in Musselburgh is facing delays in work because a secondary school with the same issues has taken priority.

Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans has been identified as having been built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – the same issue which led to the Musselburgh venue closing its theatre.

The lightweight concrete material which was used in construction between the 1950s and 1980s has been identified as a concern by the Government because it can crack and crumble.

A review of East Lothian Council buildings identified the material at the Brunton Hall earlier this year, forcing the trust which runs it to seek alternative venues for performances which had already been booked.

READ MORE: The Brunton closed for all performances; shows rescheduled

A meeting of councillors on Tuesday was told that an engineering report setting out options for the venue was unlikely to be produced until later this year, after the same material was discovered in the secondary school.

Tom Reid, the council’s head of infrastructure, said that the same team of experts was used for both buildings and Preston Lodge currently had 23 classrooms unavailable for use and took priority over the theatre as solutions were sought.

Mr Reid told the meeting that a joint board of education, infrastructure and finance chiefs was working to ensure that the school was able to continue educating children after the summer break.

He said: “Our first priority is to ensure statutory education is maintained.”

Councillors were asked to agree not to issue a "letter of guarantee" to The Brunton in the wake of uncertainty about future operations.

A report by finance chiefs said that, while enjoyleisure, which operates the county’s sports centres and also received the guarantee would continue to be supported, it could not give the same to The Brunton.

It said: “In previous years, a ‘letter of guarantee’ was provided to both enjoy and Brunton Theatre Trust.

“The 'guarantee', whilst not prescriptive in respect of quantum, gave both organisations positive assurance that the council would work proactively with them to manage cash flow and fulfil their obligations should the need arise.

“Members will be aware that there remains ongoing issues associated with The Brunton theatre and the ability to operate the building.

“Given the significance of these issues, it is not recommended that a ‘letter of guarantee’ as set out in previous years is provided to Brunton Theatre Trust auditors, given the lack of clarity around the immediate and future operational delivery of services. ”