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Press Release

1 October 2021

Fareham Live - End of Intermission!

The Council’s Executive Committee has agreed to restart work on Fareham’s new arts and entertainment venue, after being on pause for ten months.

The multi-million-pound project will see Ferneham Hall replaced with a new arts and entertainment facility to be called Fareham Live.

Ferneham Hall closed its doors in January 2020 ready for the transformation works, but the project was put on hold later that year due to the pandemic.

The Council has agreed to increase the budget allocated for the works, from £12.57m to £13.35m. This is to allow for an increase in construction costs, and higher costs in the entertainment industry as it recovers from the impact of Covid-19.

Operators BH Live have been appointed to run the venue on the Council’s behalf.

Executive Member for Leisure and Community at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Mrs Sue Walker, said: “Fareham Borough Council has very ambitious plans for the redevelopment of the civic quarter and for the regeneration of the Town Centre. Over many years Fareham has transformed from a market town to a shopping venue, and now we need to plan for the next phase in the offering within Fareham Town Centre.

“Fareham Live, a new community arts and entertainment venue, is the first phase of this regeneration and, as a cultural venue, could kickstart wider investment into our town centre.”

It is expected that construction works will start in Spring/Summer 2022 with the anticipated launch of Fareham Live by the end of 2023.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

An application for funding to support the project was recently made to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, which if successful could make a significant contribution to funding the project’s costs, the results of which will be known by the end of the calendar year.