Unsafe concrete and asbestos has been found in Abingdon Guildhall's roof - which is likely to keep the town cinema shut indefinitely.

Abbey Cinema is run from the Abbey Hall, part of the Guildhall run by the town council.

The cinema was asked by the council to close for two weeks at the beginning of the month so that checks could be made to the Abbey Hall roof, in advance of a scheme to revamp the Guildhall.

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But now discoveries have been made which could mean the cinema staying closed for a much longer period, although staff at the cinema hope they could reopen by next month.

The council is proposing to carry out work on the hall for a year from August 2025, which will mean the Abbey Cinema has to find a new home.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) The discovery of RAAC (reinforced aerated autoclave concrete) and low grade asbestos is expected to add to the length of time the cinema remains closed.

The town council said: "Preliminary scoping works have revealed the unknown fact that when it was built in the 1960s part of the roof was constructed with RAAC (reinforced aerated autoclave concrete), a form of cheap, lightweight concrete that has a limited lifespan of about 30 years and is susceptible to structural failure.

"The council has notified the tenant (the operator of Abbey Cinema) of its concerns that the structural integrity of the building must be checked to ensure the safety of the public.

"The council therefore in consultation with the tenant has brought in specialists to examine the roof and to advise what mitigation measures might be required."

The town council added that the roof survey has also revealed that low grade asbestos was also used in the construction of the roof, which adds to the complexity of the issue.

It said: "The council are keeping the Abbey Cinema fully informed of developments and greatly regrets any inconvenience that the closure of the Hall will cause to the Abbey Cinema itself and to all who use it.

"The council will be working with the tenant and its consultants and contractors to ensure any closure is for as short a period as is reasonably possible."

One film fan replied to the town council: "How about working with the tenant to find an alternative building to house them whilst this work is ongoing?

"The Abbey Cinema is a lifeline for me as it's the only cinema local enough that isn't overwhelming to me. It allows me a social life and I'm devastated to have it shut."

(Image: Oxford Mail) Abingdon South county councillor Neil Fawcett said publicly that initial scoping work was designed to find out the exact state of the current roof.

He added: "The plans for the refurbishment itself were to follow with the aim of having a scheme ready to roll in September 2025 when the current two-year cinema lease expires.

"Obviously we now know that the state of the roof could be much worse than expected and we will have to take that into account in the future plans."

A member of staff at the cinema said: "We are hoping to be open as normal next month and we will be keeping our members up to date."

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

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