Motherwell feels like a 'failed project', say residents frustrated by closures

A council decision to demolish Motherwell's well-used concert hall and replace it with a staff car park has left the town feeling like a "failed project from the 70s", residents have said.

The venue has been part of the town's cultural landscape for 50 years, but has been out of use since 2023 when potentially dangerous concrete was found.

The decision to knock it down last month follows the loss of swimming facilities and an ice rink in recent years, while the local town hall is being turned into flats.

North Lanarkshire Council said it continued to invest significantly across culture, leisure, housing and regeneration and its current projects were "a strong commitment to the town's future".

But local groups say the town is "overflowing" with houses, and called on the local authority to invest more in community facilities.

Matthew McCrossan worked at the Motherwell concert hall as a front of house staff member, having grown up watching shows on its stage.

"It was an accessible and affordable way of having culture in Motherwell," he said.

"If the building is unviable then the community should be consulted on what replaces it, not just deciding it will become 44 parking spaces."

The local authority insists the cost of fully repairing the B-listed theatre could be about £34m, a figure it cannot justify.

By contrast, turning it into a car park has an estimated price tag of £5.7m.

In Motherwell's heyday, thousands of people worked in the area, particularly at the Ravenscraig steelworks.

Its closure in 1992 devastated the wider region, and numerous other businesses and firms closed in the ensuing decades.

"Instead of drawing people to the town, everything being done is encouraging people to leave, and to focus on Motherwell as a transit area," says Bobby Miller, a retired science teacher involved with the Motherwell Deserves Better group.

"We are so focused on houses now. We are like a failed project from the 70s where these massive schemes are overflowing with houses, but there is absolutely nothing else."

A banner outside the town's Aquatec sports complex declares it to be "more than just a gym" - a tagline which raises eyebrows locally.

Both the swimming pool and ice rink which were previously part of the Aquatec have closed, meaning a large chunk of the building is no longer in use.

Earlier this year the whole building closed for several weeks due to issues with the heating during the winter.

Campaigner Luke Gilmour said he and others would be happy for such venues to be demolished if they were at risk of collapse - but they should be replaced with something else.

"It's depressing for the area for a start," he said. "There's an abundance of charity shops and vape shops, and nothing else.

"The gym, no-one is sure about the future of it - there are no plans to close the gym, but there are no plans to invest in it either."

North Lanarkshire Council disagrees with this assessment. It points to ongoing investment in heating and lighting facilities in the building.

But the campaigners say they consider that to be essential maintenance rather than investment.

Council investment has gone towards three new community hubs across North Lanarkshire, which will mix houses, shops and community facilities.

Council leader Jim Logue said: "While these projects take time to progress, they represent a strong commitment to the town's future."

The Ravenscraig hub may include a replacement for the Theatre and Concert Hall building, but nothing has been guaranteed.

Councillor Logue said that the concert hall demolition was the only option due to the cost of restoring the building, but "future cultural opportunities" will be explored in other spaces.

In the meantime, locals are advised to go to Airdrie's Town Hall, or use Motherwell's existing Heritage Centre, which has family events and exhibitions on.

But the concert hall hosted comedy, school shows, annual pantomimes and gigs by acts as varied as the Proclaimers, former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown and pop band UB40.

Jamie Keenan drummed with Motherwell rap-rock band the LaFontaines - a group which sold out Glasgow's Barrowlands, released several albums and toured at home and abroad.

They also played the concert hall several times.

"It's a blow because it's the only thing of its nature in the town," Keenan said.

"Some of the LaFontaines first gigs were there and just as it was shutting down I think it was almost becoming a B-type venue - getting acts who had played Glasgow earlier on a tour to come back and do Motherwell."

Matthew McCrossan is frustrated that a facility which was still putting on shows until the day it closed has been rendered a lost cause after three years of sitting derelict.

He and his brother Nick have protested to North Lanarkshire Council about the decision.

"I can sympathise with the council needing to save money, but it looks like they started with the decision to get the new car park, and then have worked backwards to substantiate this," he said.

"They could have spent money from their surplus, but that was used on the new community hubs instead."

The decision to demolish the concert hall has been backed by both Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the Theatre Trust campaign group.

They agree the building has fallen into such disrepair demolition is the only option.

The Theatre Trust told BBC Scotland News it was working to ensure "theatre provision continues in the local area and to consider what longer-term plans could help achieve this."

However there remains scepticism about what this will involve. For those in the area, only sustained investment and a guarantee of new facilities will help.

"It's happened one thing at a time," said Gilmour.

"It's only when you start thinking about it you go 'they've shut everything down now, we have lost so much'."