EARLY discussions for a replacement Brunton Hall are being weighed up by East Lothian Council.
The building in the centre of Musselburgh has been closed for nearly three years after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in its roof.
Now, a screening opinion has been lodged with East Lothian Council’s planning department by the local authority.
This morning (Thursday), there were no documents attached to the application for the town’s Ladywell Way.
However, the description reads: “Replacement of the Brunton Hall including up to the full demolition of the existing building and rebuilding to provide facilities for the arts and potential commercial redevelopment of the remaining land.
“The existing building has the presence of RAAC in the roof structure and remediation options are deemed financially unviable, prompting a reassessment of the building's future.
“The redevelopment of the Brunton site offers the opportunity to create a landmark cultural destination within one of Scotland's fastest-growing regions.
“A new facility has the potential to complement Edinburgh and East Lothian's leisure and tourism assets, while serving a growing local population, and aims to secure a sustainable future for cultural provision in the town.
“The site lies within a town centre environmental and as such is not considered to have any special or significant habitat other than that which is common within an urban environmental (hard pavement and roads).
“Although the Brunton Hall site is not within the Musselburgh Conservation Area, the boundary of the conservation area is adjacent to the site.
“It is therefore important that any development of the site should have sensitivity to its placing and relevant discussions and consultations with the local authority planning department will take place.”
A decision on this application is due by early next month.
The historic building was opened in the summer of 1971.
Since then, it has hosted a vast range of events, including concerts, movie screenings, theatre performances and much more.
While the building has been closed, various performances have taken place at Haddington’s Corn Exchange and Musselburgh’s Northesk Parish Church.
Last year, the cost of refurbishment and RAAC remediation was estimated at more than £42.2m, with demolition and rebuild in the region of £50.7m.
Pressures on the council’s finances mean that delivering a new facility will require an alternative funding model that potentially involves commercial finance, government support, grant funding or a combination of these.
Councillors previously approved a proposal to test the market’s appetite to become involved in future redevelopment of the Brunton Hall, gathering “useful analysis” to inform next steps.
The council hopes to redevelop the site to include theatre and performance space, potentially including commercial development of the remaining spaces to offset the cost of delivering the required arts provision, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “A planning application has yet to be submitted in respect of the redevelopment of the Brunton site.
"A request has been submitted to the Planning Authority seeking confirmation that an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required for the demolition of the existing building.
"That request is currently being considered, and a formal response will be issued in due course.
“We have been progressing with work to ensure accommodation for the arts in Musselburgh and explore opportunities to finance a replacement of the Brunton Hall.
"A Preliminary Market Consultation (PMC) has been taking place in a bid to identify suppliers, funders, or developers capable of delivering a new facility.
"We look forward to providing more information on the next steps in due course.”
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