Liverpool’s Grand Central Hall closed due to rent arrears
Grade II-listed Grand Central Hall, in Liverpool city centre, has been closed with immediate effect by its landlord.
Building owner, Nextdom Property, said this is due to rent arrears of more than £1.2m attributed to venue operator Local Bar Four, based in Southport.
Nextdom today (March 29) served official notice of forfeiture of the lease to Local Bar Four and the building’s locks have now been changed at the Renshaw Street site.
A Nextdom spokesperson said: “We re-entered premises peacefully with a certificated enforcement agency in accordance with the Regulations as per the Tribunal Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
“All locks have been changed on the building to re-secure it and we have ensured there is nobody remaining on the premises.
“The two leases have been forfeited and we are awaiting contact from the former tenant to come and collect any chattels belonging to them which remain on the premises. A security team will now remain onsite for the foreseeable future.”
Nextdom said the move follows repeated attempts to seek the co-operation of the venue operator to an arrears payment plan following the end of the government-imposed rent holiday during lockdown.
The operator re-commenced trading at the end of lockdown, hosting a series of sell-out concerts.
The Nextdom spokesperson added: “We’ve extended a huge amount of goodwill to the operator and we have made this move with some regret.
“Fundamentally, if a business doesn’t pay its rent then forfeiture is always going to happen. The operator has traded successfully for some time but clearly chose to prioritise expenditure in other areas. We feel for members of the public who are being inconvenienced.”
All forthcoming concerts at the venue are now cancelled and ticket holders are advised to revert to Local Bar Four for details of re-arranged venues or for ticket refunds, as appropriate.
Grand Central Hall was opened in 1905 as the Central Hall of the Liverpool Wesleyan Mission, replacing Renshaw Street Unitarian Chapel.
It had been used as a picture house, and from 1933 to 1939 was the home of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra while the Philharmonic Hall was rebuilt following a fire.
In 1990 the Methodists sold Central Hall. Major restoration work was undertaken in 1997/98 and from November 1998 the building became the Barcelona Bar and nightclub.
From 2006 it was home to several traders from the former Quiggins Centre on School Lane following its closure.
In October 2011 a performance area opened in the building’s domed area.
In 2018 the site was redeveloped and now includes hotel facilities, as well as boutique bars, live music and event spaces, a wedding hall and food outlets.
