Preliminary Market Engagement for Ashford Arts Centre Operator

Ashford Borough Council is bringing forward the redevelopment of the former Odeon cinema on Ashford High Street into Ashford Arts Centre (working title, naming convention to be agreed with successful bidder), a flexible theatre, gallery and community venue, and a landmark cultural project for the town centre. Following Cabinet and Full Council approval, this first phase of the project focuses on restoring the High Street facing part of the building; it does not recreate a full-scale theatre and is designed to complement rather than compete with larger regional venues.

Design development is being led by Haworth Tompkins, with RIBA Stage 2 complete and Stage 3 design now underway. The Council intends to appoint an operator or leaseholder to run the venue once complete, on a lease or concession basis pending final classification, and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand market capacity and appetite among cultural and commercial operators before finalising its procurement route and minimum requirements.

This builds on strong interest already shown by creative and community organisations in Ashford and is intended to ensure the technical brief and contract terms are realistic and will attract high quality operators, given the Council's ambition for the venue to become a genuine cultural anchor for the area. The Council acknowledges that some form of public revenue support may be required to enable a venue of this kind to operate sustainably; the level and structure of any such support has not yet been determined and will be informed by this engagement.

This is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commence a procurement process. Turnover estimated at approximately £6.1 million over a 15-year term, in line with the lease or concession term set out above.

This reflects the Council's indicative commercial model for the venue, based on cumulative operator income (not net or gross profit and excluding public subsidy) over the 15-year term. Lease or concession term of approximately 15 - 25 years from operational handover.

Start date to be confirmed once the Stage 3 and Stage 4 design and construction programme is finalised, but indicative dates provided are based on an early agreement being in place in early 2027, with the venue opening in July 2028, based on the current programme and a 15 year agreement from opening. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Ashfo... To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/6784S55D35