New theatre crosses final hurdle before opening

A new live entertainment venue has cleared one of the final hurdles before its official opening.

Fareham Live is due to open on 1 October after being granted its licence - which controls its opening times and ability to sell alcohol.

The £16m venue will feature an 800-seat auditorium and is expected to create more than 70 jobs.

But nearby residents have voiced concerns, including over reports of drunken theatregoers using a nearby alleyway as a toilet.

The venue, which was delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be run by Trafalgar UK Theatres.

Ewen Macgregor, from TLT Solicitors, represented the theatre operator at the Fareham Borough Council licensing meeting.

He reassured residents concerned about noise and alcohol sales that none of its licence agreements have ever been reviewed across the 15 venues it currently operates in the UK.

The project is taking place on the site of the former Ferneham Hall theatre, with one resident telling the meeting they had previously "seen people urinating" in nearby alleyways.

Another said they had "experienced noise nuisance" from the old venue, along with "litter being thrown over the hedge" into their garden.

The granted licence means the new venue can open between Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 00:30, Friday to Saturday 08:00 to 01:30 and Sunday from 08:00 to midnight.

It will also feature a 300-seat performance space, a new bar and cafe area, a dance studio and space for community groups and organisations.

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