Campaigners warn sale could end hopes of reopening Halifax arts venue
Campaigners seeking the reopening of Square Chapel Arts Centre have warned that its future is "not assured" after Arts Council England instructed a receiver to invite offers on the Halifax building.
The town centre venue on Square Road closed suddenly in February last year. The closure prompted the formation of the Save Square Chapel Campaign, which has campaigned since to see the centre restored as a publicly accessible arts and community facility.
In late spring, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued a winding-up order against the centre's owner, Square Chapel CIC, forcing the company into voluntary liquidation. Last month Arts Council England (ACE), which holds a charge on the property because of a previous capital award, confirmed the building was being marketed. The receiver appointed by ACE, Watling Real Estate, has said:
“We are inviting offers at this time.”
Campaigners say they have been given an explicit timeframe by ACE: if a suitable owner-operator is not found within nine months, the building could be passed on via the open market. That prospect has prompted fears that the site could be lost to cultural use.
- February (last year) – Square Chapel Arts Centre closed suddenly.
- Late spring – HMRC issued a winding-up order against Square Chapel CIC.
- Last month – Arts Council England instructed a receiver and the building was marketed.
Members of the Save Square Chapel Campaign have invited representatives from Arts Council England to their annual meeting later this month to answer questions. The group has emphasised the need for public investment and meaningful community consultation over the building's future.
“Clearly, the re-opening of Square Chapel as an arts centre is not assured at present,”
said a campaign representative in a statement outlining the group's aims. The campaign’s stated goal is “to secure the re-opening of Square Chapel as a financially sustainable, vibrant and inclusive centre for arts and culture, with good community links and outreach.”
Arts Council England has acknowledged limits on the building’s permissible uses and said it remains committed to returning the venue to cultural purposes for Halifax communities. ACE said it would work with Watling Real Estate and local stakeholders to seek a solution that preserves cultural use.
But campaigners remain sceptical about the safeguards on offer. They argue that adequate public investment will be necessary for any new operator to operate the venue sustainably and that the local community must be consulted meaningfully about proposals put forward by prospective owners or operators before ACE decides on a future custodian for the building.
Local stakeholders, including independent arts organisations and community groups, have previously been involved in efforts to develop programming and business models for Square Chapel. The campaign has warned that lessons must be learned from the collapse of Square Chapel CIC to avoid a repeat of the same problems.
As the receiver begins to invite offers, the key questions for Halifax residents are how any future owner would sustain an arts programme, what level of public-sector support might be available, and how community voices will be included in decision-making processes.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Square Chapel CIC | Former owner/operator; entered voluntary liquidation following HMRC winding-up order |
| Arts Council England | Holds a charge on the building; appointed receiver and is seeking a route back to cultural use |
| Watling Real Estate | Receiver appointed to invite offers for the property |
The coming weeks will be critical for campaigners and the wider Halifax cultural sector. The Save Square Chapel Campaign has made clear it will press for public-sector recognition of the venue’s role and for proper consultation with the community before any sale is finalised.
Local residents and arts groups will be watching closely for details of the offers invited by the receiver and for ACE’s proposals to safeguard cultural use of the site. The outcome will shape Halifax’s cultural landscape for years to come.
