27 Mar 2025
Visionary plans to create St Albans’ newest theatre by transforming a derelict 18th century barn are still very much on the cards, despite reports to the contrary in other local media.
The OVO theatre company is bidding to transform the Grade II listed St Germain’s Barn – next to Verulamium Museum – into a new performance venue after being awarded £300,000 from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
Although an internal partition will be removed, there are no structural alterations to the building, which will feature a new courtyard, stage, and stackable seating.
The new theatre will be located within the scheduled ancient monument of Roman Verulamium, close to the Roman Theatre of St Albans, where OVO has been running its hugely successful Roman Theatre Open Air Festival since 2014.
OVO was originally hoping for planning approval at the start of November, with a view to starting the conversion work in the spring – when the weather is more favourable – and lasting six months, with the new venue opening in the autumn.
SADC has already granted listed building consent for the project, which means all the proposed internal changes have been approved.
However, a pre-commencement condition relating to the possibility of bats roosting at the site has not been granted.
This detail was picked up in other news media, with suggestions the entire project had been scuppered as a result. Because no efforts were made to contact OVO the full details of the decision were overlooked.
An OVO spokesperson explained the technicalities behind this latest state in the planning process: “Because we are extremely committed to protecting the environment around the site, including local wildlife, we have engaged a range of specialist advisors to assist with our planning application. These include Arbtech Consulting, the UK’s leading ecological consultancy.
“Arbtech undertook a preliminary roost assessment which did not find any bats present in the barn, but recommended that three bat emergence and re-entry surveys should be carried out. These surveys can only take place during the bat roosting season between May and August, meaning that the initial planning window expired before the work could be carried out.
“Based on previous planning applications, we had hoped that SADC would award planning consent with a pre-commencement condition that we would implement any mitigation recommended from the further bat surveys. However, the council determined that our application would need to be re-submitted after the further surveys had been carried out meaning that the original planning application is now deemed to have been formally refused’.
“Once the additional bat surveys have been carried out by Arbtech Consulting in June we are confident that planning permission will be granted. We then aim to begin the refurbishment of the barn in the autumn , and hope to open the new theatre in spring 2026.”
The barn itself stood on the east side of the foldyard of St Germain’s Farm, the existence of which was documented since the 16th century, and is Grade II listed for its special architectural or historic interest.
Although the barn itself dates back to the 18th century, there is 20th century weatherboarding over the original timber frame.
The new theatre proposals have received extensive support from the local community.
Herts High Sheriff Annie Brewster said: “I would like to add my sincere support for OVO’s exciting plans to utilise the St Germain’s Barn and St Michael’s Changing Rooms for a new theatre and community space.”
Verulam ward councillor Julian Degg said: “I’m very happy to support this local initiative, I personally think it’s an excellent idea and will be a great addition to the community.”
Farhana Begum, SADC arts, tourism, heritage and culture manager and head of St Albans Museums, said: “We are excited by the proposal to convert these buildings into a performance, community and events space. This development would be a meaningful step towards reanimating the area and we feel it would be of great benefit to visitors to Verulamium Museum.”
County councillor Sandy Walkington said: “I am very pleased to endorse this imaginative proposal both in my capacity as a local county councillor for the site and as a past president of St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society. (SAHAAS)”
Tim Boatswain, council member for SAHAAS, chairman of Conservation 50 and trustee for OVO, added: “This important historic barn has long been in a poor state of repair. OVO, by converting its use for theatrical performances, will provide a beneficial new use that will encourage and facilitate the maintenance of the historic fabric of the building. This will both conserve the building’s importance and ensure its historic character in the context of a conservation area.
“All too often historic buildings are allowed to fall into decay because they have no contemporary use. As a performance area, what was an empty and dilapidated barn will become an asset for the community providing cultural enjoyment for all. It is important that conservation of historic buildings provide spaces that have relevance for modern times thereby ensuring that they are valued and protected for the future.”
All artist’s impressions courtesy Simon Knight Architects.
