"Shakespeare must be turning in his grave."

That's the view of a Hampshire director reacting to the news that a 450 seat theatre must be closed down following a Planning Inspectorate decision. 

Titchfield Festival Theatre has been given seven months to comply following the conclusion of the inquiry, which ends a  long-running planning battle with Fareham Borough Council (FBC) over whether the Arden Theatre was built without planning permission.

(Image: Newsquest / Chris Moorhouse)

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Director Kevin Fraser said: “I am clearly broken hearted at the decision from the Planning Inspectorate. The country will lose one of its greatest community arts assets and Shakespeare must be turning in his grave! 

"In light of this decision, I will speak to our Trustees and fully evaluate the outcome before commenting further."

He urged audiences to support Made in Dagenham, which takes to the stage next month, and could be the last show in the venue, in St Margaret's Lane, which has been besieged with parking problems. 

The community theatre made a last-ditch attempt to save the space with an appeal to the highest planning decision making body.

It said it already had permission for the work to create the Arden theatre space but FBC disagreed, saying it was only to be used as storage. 

In November 2023, the council served an enforcement order to close the charity’s largest theatre space.

Speaking after the Planning Inspectorate decision, Cllr Joanne Burton, Fareham Borough and Hampshire County Councillor for Sarisbury and Fareham's Executive Member for Health and Public Protection, said: "It is regrettable that the company carried out these works without planning consent and in doing so they let down their many users and patrons as well as costing Fareham Borough Council taxpayers a significant sum of money to bring about compliance with planning law. The same laws which apply to everyone else."

The planning report deemed there to be conflict in terms of 'the suitability of the location for the development with regard to its accessibility, harm to the vitality and viability of the Borough’s centres and parades, and harm to highway safety through inadequate parking provision'.

More than 160 representations were made on the case, which divided opinion locally.

Titchfield's Oak and Acorn theatres are unaffected by this decision.