A raft of extra work is being carried out before a town theatre can finally reopen after new fire safety changes in the wake of the Grenfell fire disaster.

The Orchard Theatre in Dartford has been shut since last September when it was found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its roof.

More than a year on, the roof has been repaired and solar panels have been fitted but despite hoping to be finished by the end of the year, Dartford council and the venue’s operator Trafalgar Entertainment say they have “no option” but to also upgrade the whole building’s fire safety systems to meet new rules.

A report, due to be considered by the local authority’s overview and scrutiny committee tonight (November 12) explained the extent of the “very complex project”.

The roof has now been replaced and the job of upgrading and replacing lighting, heating, air handling and fire safety systems is underway but those systems run through the entire building, it says.

A large part of the new works have been prompted by changes in fire safety rules brought in after the investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire disaster which claimed 72 lives in 2017. The inquiry published its final report on September 4, including a series of recommendations.

The council report explains: “The findings of the recently published investigation into the tragic events at Grenfell Tower have informed and significantly affected the ongoing fire safety works and some of the final parts of the work to be carried out will pick up what has been learned.”

The council says the new rules go “over and above” their original plans, and that “significant changes and upgrades” were needed.

It says the changes have left the council with no option but to upgrade the whole electrical, air handling and fire suppression systems, as well as changing the heating system and the kitchen layout to comply with new rules.

The theatre is set to get other upgrades but will not reopen earlier than May next year.

A customer lift and more space for wheelchairs are set to be added, as is a more accessible toilet. The venue is also to get a new bar.

The report adds: “The lighting, sound and technical capabilities are being improved to enhance the facilities available to incoming productions and improve the visitor experience in the future.”

Council leader Jeremy Kite (Con) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The roof is sound, complete and RAAC-free.

“What we’re now waiting for is the extra refurbishment, and the fire changes that are needed - fire regulations have moved on and we want it to be cutting edge.”

He explained that the other renovations to the theatre were already on the cards before RAAC was found.

“This was always going to be a planned renovation, so before the roof problems happened we knew that on our medium-term horizon we needed to carry out the refurbishment of the theatre, and that was always down as a two year project.

Cllr Kite added: “Nobody wants it open as quickly as I do, it’s a priority to get it open as quickly as possible but it’s also got to be safe and it's got to be the best we can make it.

“The last thing I’m going to do is to have it open simply because we’re rushing through it with an artificial deadline, and then find in a year or two’s time we’ve got to close it again for something else.”

RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s in some public sector buildings as a lower-cost alternative to standard concrete.

However, concerns have since been raised about the structural safety of many buildings using the material.

Eventually, 174 school buildings which included RAAC were ordered to close in August 2023.

By December 2023, the council had built Orchard West, a temporary replacement structure where events could be hosted.

However, that project ended up costing £2.6 million - exceeding the original planned cost of £1.5m.