Sevenoaks District Council sets out two options for future of The Stag

Sevenoaks District Council has set out two long-term options for the future of The Stag, as discussions continue over how the much-loved theatre and arts centre should be managed in the years ahead.

The update follows earlier debate over whether The Stag should be transferred to Sevenoaks Town Council and how the building should be valued. The venue is currently leased to the Town Council on a 25-year lease, with nine years still remaining.

The District Council has now confirmed it has received a Community Asset Transfer request from the Town Council and is proposing two options. The first would allow Sevenoaks Town Council to buy the freehold of The Stag at an existing use valuation of £650,000. The second would offer a new 30-year lease at a peppercorn rent.

According to the District Council, both options are intended to keep The Stag in local ownership and control while allowing the Town Council and Stag Trustees to seek funding and invest in the venue’s future.

The 30-year lease option would mean that a future local authority could not make major decisions about the future of The Stag without the Town Council’s agreement. The council also says this arrangement would not prevent the Town Council from discussing the lease or freehold again with the new unitary authority once it is created.

However, the District Council has said that handing over the entire freehold for free is not considered legally acceptable under national guidance. The council says both proposed options have been reviewed by its Section 151 Officer and are compliant with government requirements for asset transfers and disposals, particularly with local government reorganisation due in 2028.

If the Town Council decides not to accept either offer, The Stag and the existing lease would automatically transfer to Sevenoaks District Council’s successor authority. In that case, the current nine-year lease would remain unchanged.

Cllr Julia Thornton, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said the council remains committed to supporting community stewardship of local assets. She described The Stag as a “much cherished cultural and community asset” serving not only Sevenoaks town residents, but also communities across the wider district and beyond.

She said the council was pleased to be able to offer the Town Council either the chance to purchase the freehold based on its existing use valuation or take on a new 30-year lease at a peppercorn rent.

The proposal will now go through the council’s decision-making process. The Stag Community Asset Transfer is due to be considered by the Finance and Investment Advisory Committee on 9 June 2026, Cabinet on 16 June 2026, and then full Council on 14 July 2026.

The wider context remains important. From April 2028, Sevenoaks District Council is expected to become part of a new unitary authority as part of local government reorganisation. The District Council says its Community Asset Transfer scheme has been introduced so some council-owned properties can be transferred to local town or parish councils and managed closer to the communities they serve.

For residents, the key question is now whether the Town Council will accept one of the two options on offer, and whether either route provides enough long-term certainty for The Stag as a community-led theatre, cinema and arts venue.

More details are available in the original Sevenoaks District Council update: Council considers options to keep The Stag in local ownership and control