The biggest theatre in Reading that draws in thousands of people each month will remain open - despite the fact dangerous concrete has been found in its roof.
Reading Borough Council has confirmed that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which is prone to collapse, was spotted after a routine inspection.
But it had been following guidance to assess its condition and can remain open, the council added.
It comes after dozens of schools across England have been shut down due to the presence of the flawed concrete which was commonly used to create public buildings in the 1960s to 1990s.
READ MORE: Officials speak out on dangerous concrete fears for Reading schools
A spokesperson for the council said: “The use of RAAC panels in the construction of the Hexagon Theatre is foreseeable given the period in which it was built, when they were widely used in the construction industry.
“We would reassure residents and visitors that both visual and geometric testing has already taken place on accessible panels by expert structural engineers, who have advised the Council there is no reason why the Hexagon should not remain fully operational.
“These inspections, initiated in September 2022, pre-date the recent news coverage of RAAC and were undertaken as part of the council’s routine maintenance regime of all its buildings.
“Some precautionary mitigations in backstage areas are in place which have minimal implications for theatre operations, and these are being managed."
The spokesman added that further inspections will continue this autumn and said the authority will "continue to take advice from structural engineers at each and every stage if any further actions are required".
It comes as theatres in other parts of the country have been forced to close.
The Hexagon is currently undergoing an upgrade as part of £13.7 million in funding from the government's Levelling Up fund.
The project involves extending The Hexagon to create the HexBox - a new space for performances and community use.
A council spokesman said the works were going ahead as planned, saying: “As part of the Council’s plans to extend the existing theatre by adding a new Studio Theatre at the Hexagon, a section of the backstage area would additionally be replaced during the construction phase.”
The Hexagon was built in 1977, with 2022 marking its 45th anniversary.
Earlier this year, an exhibition was held at the theatre to mark the occasion.
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