Waterfront Hall to close for repair work

Belfast's Waterfront Hall is to close for up to three months so repairs can be carried out on a faulty stage elevator system.

The problem centres on an electronic system which controls the raising, lowering and overall movement of an internal stage.

The cost of the repairs for the venue, which opened nine years ago, is expected to exceed £1 million.

Christopher Stalford, chairman of the Waterfront Board, said the original repair quote was closer to £2 million.

"As a board, we were unhappy with that... and we charged the officers to come back to us with a lower figure and they have done that," he said.

"We got to a point where we said we needed an independent assessment and that assessment said they were not minor problems."

Alliance councillor Tom Ekin said the original system was guaranteed to last 30 years.

"In conjunction with carrying out these works, we will be pursuing a legal action against the company responsible for the installation of that equipment," he added.

A statement from the Waterfront Hall said business would continue as normal despite the repair work.

"We would like to assure members of the public and event ticket holders that all events currently programmed for the Waterfront Hall will go ahead as planned without any disruption," a spokesperson said.

"The maintenance work required on the Main Auditorium stage and technical areas is likely to be scheduled during the summer period, when the Hall is traditionally quieter and routine maintenance work is usually carried out, and not until 2007."

(MB/SP)