Keeping The Stag in local hands

Currently, Sevenoaks Town Council leases the building from Sevenoaks District Council and sub-leases it to The Stag, which operates as an independent charity. This arrangement has worked well since 2009, when the Town Council introduced the business model that saved the theatre from closure.

But when the District Council is abolished as part of reorganisation, public assets like the Stag will be redistributed. The risk is real: the Stag could be transferred to a larger, more distant authority. We've seen what happens elsewhere when community assets fall into the hands of distant councils - they get sold off to raise revenue, and local communities lose vital cultural resources.

The good news is that Sevenoaks District Council's Finance and Investment Advisory Committee has recommended that the freehold of The Stag remains locally owned. This is exactly the right approach.

Community assets like the Stag should be owned and managed as close to local people as possible. The theatre has thrived under local management, becoming financially stable and serving our community with a diverse programme of arts and entertainment.

Andrew Eyre, who has served as Chief Executive for 14 successful years, is retiring this summer. The Stag Trustees are now recruiting his successor to continue building a vibrant arts centre for Sevenoaks.

Andrew's legacy - and our community's theatre - deserves to be protected by keeping the Stag where it belongs: in local ownership, serving the entire Sevenoaks district for generations to come.