Owner of popular Liverpool leisure venue Grand Central Hall closes the premises due to £1.2m rent arrears. Tony McDonough reports

Popular Liverpool leisure venue Grand Central Hall has been shut down by its owners, claiming it is owed more than £1.2m in rent.

Building owner Nextdom Property says it has served official notice of forfeiture of the lease to venue operator Local Bar Four, effective immediately. The locks on the building in Renshaw Street have been changed.

In a statement Nextdom said: “We re-entered premises peacefully with a certificated enforcement agency in accordance with the regulations as per the Tribunal Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

“All locks have been changed on the building to re-secure it and we have ensured there is nobody remaining on the premises.

“The two leases have been forfeited and we are awaiting contact from the former tenant to come and collect any chattels belonging to them which remain on the premises. A security team will now remain onsite for the foreseeable future.”

Nextdom claims the move follows repeated attempts to seek the co-operation of the venue operator to an arrears payment plan following the end of the Government-imposed rent holiday during lockdown. The operator re-commenced trading at the end of lockdown, hosting a series of sell-out concerts.

“We’ve extended a huge amount of goodwill to the operator and we have made this move with some regret,” added Nextdom Property’s spokesperson.

“Fundamentally, if a business doesn’t pay its rent then forfeiture is always going to happen. The operator has traded successfully for some time but clearly chose to prioritise expenditure in other areas. We feel for members of the public who are being inconvenienced.”

All forthcoming concerts at the venue are now cancelled and ticket-holders are advised to revert to the operator, Local Bar Four, for details of re-arranged venues or for ticket refunds, as appropriate.