South Lanarkshire Council is facing up to a huge cash shortfall as its entertainment venues remain closed.

A Freedom of Information request by the Reformer revealed that the council-run venues, including Rutherglen town hall and the Cambuslang Institute, bring in almost £500,000 each year to the local authority’s coffers.

However, fears are growing that it will only be possible to hold a limited number of indoor music or theatre performances in the remaining months of 2020, hitting the council in the pocket.

The Scottish Government announced that theatres and other venues can reopen from September 14, but with social distancing guidelines in place.

The Reformer’s FOI request showed that shows and performances in the town hall brought in more than £1.1 million for South Lanarkshire over the past three years.

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) has two revenue streams, with South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture Ltd a charity responsible for the town hall and the Cambuslang Institute on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council; and SLL Trading Ltd operating the non-charitable, trading aspects of the business, predominantly vending and catering services, such as the cafe at the town hall.

In the most recent financial year, the town hall brought in £378,931, having made £371,501 the previous year, and £380,532 the year before that.

These numbers make it the second most profitable of the council’s arts facilities, trailing only the Town House in Hamilton, which pulled in £498,639 in 2019/20.

Cambuslang Institute earned £67.237 having made £66,831 in 2018/19 and £63,218 in 2017/2018.

Other council-run venues include East Kilbride Arts Centre, East Kilbride Village Theatre and Lanark Memorial Hall. A total of 1178 staff are under contract to the department, which also handles sports facilities, libraries and outdoor parks throughout the region.

However, while many of those facilities are now being reopened, the immediate future of the culture scene remains unclear.

Many theatre and music promoters, including West End impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mark Dayvd, the chairman of the Music Venues’ Trust, have publicly expressed concerns that it will not be viable to run shows with social distancing measures in place.

The town hall has currently postponed all shows until October, but performances are available to book from then onwards.

Commenting on the situation, David Booth, general manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, said: “We are still assessing the impact Covid-19 will have on our finances, including with regards our cultural venues.

“We are following Scottish Government advice with regards the reopening of venues and will only do so when we are sure it is operationally and financially viable to do so. The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority.

“Any decisions will be communicated to the public through the usual channels.”

Several local politicians also expressed their concerns for the area’s entertainment venues.

Rutherglen MP Margaret Ferrier said: “Rutherglen town hall has an excellent reputation for bringing high quality performances to local audiences.

“The Scottish Government’s recent announcement of the Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund will provide much-needed support.

“The UK Government must also step up its efforts to protect the livelihoods of the talented professionals who work front and backstage to excite and entertain us.

“The Chancellor must urgently extend the furlough scheme for those working in theatre and live events and bring forward new support for freelancers, to protect this vibrant part of our economy.”

Her fellow SNP parliamentarian, MSP Clare Haughey, commented: “Covid-19 has been devastating for the live entertainment industry – impacting on freelance theatre technicians, directors, musicians and actors as well as the venues themselves.

“I have contacted South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture to ensure they are aware of the fund and encouraged them to enquire about their eligibility.”

Rutherglen South Lib Dem councillor Robert Brown added: “Pretty much all the council’s cultural, sporting and leisure facilities have been badly hit.

“We need to be looking forward to how Rutherglen town hall and other resources can be supported to regrow, probably next year, once it is possible to do more within the rules and hopefully once there is an effective vaccine available.”