THIS year’s Sands Centre pantomime will not go ahead, Cumberland Council has confirmed.

The authority said that following the announcement of the temporary closure of The Sands Centre Auditorium, a 'detailed structural assessment' has been completed.

Engineers are now recommending that the auditorium remains closed until the Raac panels in the roof are replaced.

The venue was first closed in early September following 'the change in government legislation' on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Mitigating steps to allow The Sands Centre to continue hosting events for a temporary period have been ruled out, the council said, as they would have 'restricted the use of the auditorium leaving insufficient space for audiences and shows'.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “Based upon the findings of the structural assessment and the engineers recommendations, action needs to be taken to ensure the safe use of the auditorium.

“The decision to accelerate plans to replace the Raac roof are now underway. It is the right decision and one that protects the safety of the public whilst also providing the investment opportunity to modernise the overall experience when attending events at The Sands Centre.

“Plans were already in place for the roof, so we have already taken steps to get the replacement work underway. We will appoint a contractor soon to get things moving.

“This, unfortunately, means that the auditorium will be closed for an extended period. We will know more about timeframes and costs when a contractor has been appointed.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause however safety is at the heart of any decision we make.”

A spokesperson for operators GLL said: “Once a timeframe is made clear, we will make every effort to reschedule or provide ticketholders with their available options for all affected events.

"At this time, there is no need for customers to contact the box office, and rest assured that we will be in touch to discuss options with ticket holders once we’re able to do so.”

The decision to temporarily close the events space does not impact on the day to day running of the main leisure centre. The new main Sands Centre building’s leisure provision is unaffected, which includes the pools, gym, studios and sports hall.