The Maltings rebuild in Berwick now costs £36m, up £7.7m, and the council's share rises from £2.8m to £7.5m. Cabinet decides on 6 October; reopening April 2029.
The plan to rebuild the Maltings theatre in Berwick now costs £36.0m. That is £7.7m more than the budget agreed a year ago. Northumberland County Council’s own share would rise from £2.8m to £7.5m, with part of it borrowed.
The figures are in a report to the council’s Cabinet, which meets on Tuesday 6 October (Berwick Maltings Theatre: Project Status). Cabinet is asked to back the extra money and send it to Full Council in November for the final say. If both agree, building work on Eastern Lane starts in November.
Where the money comes from
In October 2025, Cabinet approved a budget of £28,337,415 for the whole project. The report now forecasts £36,011,856. It splits the cost like this:
| Part of the project | Forecast cost |
|---|---|
| Mob Store, Berwick Barracks | £1,340,953 |
| Gymnasium, Berwick Barracks | £1,311,411 |
| Eastern Lane theatre | £33,359,492 |
| Total | £36,011,856 |
The £7,674,441 gap would be filled three ways:
- £3.0m more from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. Its board approved the business case on 23 September and raised its grant from £25.5m to £28.5m. The extra £3m was moved from the deal’s digital programme.
- £2.05m from the council’s Strategic Regeneration Projects budget. This includes £0.55m that had been set aside for the Berwick Visitor Gateway project.
- £2.62m of new council borrowing. The report says this commits the council to debt charges of £0.241m a year, to be built into the February 2027 budget.
The council would then be paying £7.512m, or 21% of the cost. Borderlands would pay the other 79%.
Why it went up
The report gives four reasons:
- Inflation. It blames the conflict in the Middle East and tariffs on steel prices, which ran past the allowances in the original estimate.
- A longer build. Surveys inside the building changed the plan. The construction programme went from 89 weeks to 109 weeks.
- The setting. The Maltings sits in Berwick’s conservation area among listed buildings, so it needs high-quality outside materials.
- Few local bidders. Some work packages drew little competition. An independent cost consultant said many subcontractors would have to come from south east Northumberland, Tyneside or Scotland, which pushes prices up.
The cost on the Gymnasium at the Barracks also rose after unforeseen work turned up during construction.
The report says the design team saved money by keeping more of the old building. Earlier designs gutted almost everything behind the outer walls. The current one reuses as much of the existing structure as it can. The building dates from the early 1800s and is not listed.
What Berwick would get
Willmott Dixon would build it under a contract worth £28.575m. The new Maltings would have:
- a 289-seat theatre with flexible seating
- two cinema screens, with 127 and 48 seats
- a studio and rehearsal space
- a café and bistro with views over the River Tweed
- a new public entrance on the south side
- solar panels, heat recovery ventilation and better insulation
The main point is to split theatre and film. Today they share one auditorium, which the report calls a “direct constraint” on how much the venue can put on. The business case forecasts 115,000 visitors a year and 61 new full-time jobs.
The other options
The report sets out what happens if councillors say no. None of them is free:
- Patch up the damage from the surveys: roughly £3.34m.
- A general refurbishment: roughly £11.64m, with no new layout.
- Retender the job: no guarantee of a lower price, and a long delay.
The report says neither repair option would attract Borderlands money, so the council would pay the whole bill. Saying no outright would also put the £28.5m grant at risk.
When it would happen
The report’s timetable, if both votes go through:
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Cabinet decision | 6 October 2026 |
| Full Council decision | November 2026 |
| Construction | November 2026 to December 2028 |
| Commissioning and test performances | January to March 2029 |
| Opening | April 2029 |
The council’s announcement of 28 September says preliminary works would start before Christmas. Only a limited number of spaces in the Eastern Lane car park would be lost then. The main works would start in the new year.
What it means for you
- The Maltings is still running. While Eastern Lane is shut, its programme moves to two buildings at Berwick Barracks. The Mob Store is already open as a temporary cinema. Work on the Gymnasium started in May and is due to finish in January 2027.
- Eastern Lane car park loses some spaces from before Christmas. The council has not said how many. Our parking guide lists the alternatives.
- Council tax payers would carry £0.241m a year in new debt charges. The report also warns that the Maltings (Berwick) Trust may need extra running money in 2027-28 because the build is longer. That would be decided in next year’s budget.
- Want a say? Cabinet meets at 10am on 6 October and the agenda is public. Your county councillor votes at Full Council in November.
We will report the Cabinet decision.
Sources
- Northumberland County Council: Berwick Maltings Theatre: Project Status, Cabinet 6 October 2026, for all costs, funding, options and dates.
- Northumberland County Council: November start planned for Maltings transformation, 28 September 2026, for the car park and start of works.
- Northumberland County Council: Cabinet agenda, 6 October 2026.
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