Fundraiser to purchase the freehold of Stag Community Arts Centre
Sevenoaks Town Council is proposing to acquire the freehold of the Stag Theatre and Cinema, as a prudent means of securing this important community asset for current and future generations. To make the purchase possible, the Town Council is seeking to raise £100,000 in community donations towards the cost, and is calling on residents, businesses and Stag supporters to contribute to help safeguard the venue’s future.
The Stag is a valued community venue that supports the cultural life and local economy of Sevenoaks, as well as providing a home for the youth café. Freehold ownership would offer permanent security, remove exposure to future landlord decisions and provide the confidence needed to attract major, long-term investment to upgrade the venue and for the wider town.
The Town Council currently has a lease for the Stag but wants to take over the freehold from Sevenoaks District Council through a Community Asset Transfer, ahead of Local Government Reorganisation and the abolishment of the District Council, and to enable long-term major investment in the future.
Sevenoaks District Council is choosing to charge £650,000 for the freehold of the Stag. In order to purchase the freehold, the Town Council is proposing to cover the £650,000 price by combining a Public Works Loan (£350,000), some of the Town Council’s capital reserves (£200,000), alongside a need for community donations with a target of £100,000.
Community donations are an essential part of making the freehold purchase possible. Every donation will help protect the Stag as an important cultural asset in Sevenoaks and ensure it remains a thriving community venue for generations to come.
Sevenoaks Town Council is asking anyone interested in pledging a community donation to support the freehold purchase of the Stag to complete this pledge form (click here) by 1 October 2026, the form is also available to collect from the Town Council office on Bradbourne Vale Road.
At this stage, Sevenoaks Town Council is only asking the community to pledge donations. Once the deadline has passed, the Town Council will make a decision on whether to progress with purchasing the freehold, based on funds available. If the decision is made to purchase the Stag, all those who have pledged a donation will be contacted asking if they wish to make their pledged donation.
Read our 2nd September 2026 press release for more information here.
Update on the Community Asset Transfer of the Stag – August 2026
At the Sevenoaks Town Council and Finance & Delivery Committee meetings on Tuesday 1 September, Councillors considered the options proposed by Sevenoaks District Council for the Community Asset Transfer of the Stag Community Arts Centre.
The Sevenoaks Town Council agenda is available to read on our website by clicking here.
The Stag Community Arts Centre report is available to read at: 2026-09-01-Agenda-Item-6-CAT-Options-The-Stag-.pdf
Update on the Community Asset Transfer of the Stag – June 2026
Sevenoaks District Council have provided Sevenoaks Town Council with three options.
Option 1: Freehold at a charge of £650,000. The Town Council have argued that the Stag Freehold could be transferred at a nominal value; however the District Council consistently state that this is not possible. Following a meeting last night, it was thought that further negotiations might take place. This could mean the Town Council potentially making some payment and the need for some fund raising.
Having the Freehold would provide permanent security and ability for future investment into the facility.
Option 2: a 30-year Peppercorn Lease. This seems a good offer, however there are concerns that with no secure of Tenancy, this situation will arise again in the future, potentially after investing even more funds into the building.
If neither of these options can be agreed by next Tuesday, Option 3 is proposed, which is the existing Lease with 9 years remaining will be transferred to the new Unitary Authority expected to be formed in 2028.
It should be noted that the Freehold / Lease negotiations are between the District Council and the Town Council, not the Stag, although obviously we remain involved. All involved believe the Town Council and the Stag Charity are the most appropriate organisations to continue to manage the Stag.
With such a short timescale to make such an important decision, the Stag would be grateful to receive community feedback on this, which you can provide at [email protected]
Nigel Wightman, Chair of Stag Community Arts Centre
Stag Petition
Over 7,700 people signed the Stag petition demonstrating huge support for the Stag to remain under local control.
To see the petition, please visit: www.change.org/stagfreehold
“Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) has a peppercorn lease arrangement with the Town Council since 2009 (and eight years remaining) during which time the Town Council and the Stag Community Arts Centre charity have run it as a not-for-profit for the benefit of the town. This is a local Asset of Community Value, and a good deal of its success is from the involvement of the community both financial and in volunteering.
“There is no income to SDC (or future successive authority) from the arrangement, and no security benefit to the Theatre. As an arts centre delivering for communities across the district and beyond, we have exciting plans to expand and improve over the coming years. We are ambitious about being the cultural hub for a growing town and beyond, and to be able to do it and raise the funds we need the Freehold.
“We are calling on Sevenoaks District to release the freehold of the Stag to the Town Council and continue access to the loading bay at no cost using an overage clause to secure its long-term interest and ownership of the local community.”
Nigel Wightman, Chair of Stag Community Arts Centre
About the Stag
The Stag opened on Saturday August 22 1936 as the Majestic Cinema. The first feature starred Jack Buchanan & Fay Wray in the musical farce “When Knights Were Bold” a film which the Daily Express described as “a rare triumph of unimaginativeness”.
It was the era of cinema as mass entertainment and it was at the time one of three purpose built cinemas in Sevenoaks (The Majestic, the Granada and the Carlton). Such was the popularity of cinema there was also a fourth cinema in Sevenoaks – on Tubs Hill: The Palace.
The Town Council took possession of the Stag on January 2 2009 and its original intention was to open at Easter that year. Pressure from local drama groups helped the Council’s team to work wonders as The Stag had been closed, dark and cold for six months. It re-opened in mid-January with the Sevenoaks Entertainers’ pantomime of Cinderella & the Glass Slipper. This meant the Entertainers continued an unbroken run of pantomimes at the Stag which started in 1990 – a record they continue today. The cinemas re-opened for the February half-term using the flexibility the digital equipment provided and which means The Stag Cinema can show multiple films throughout the week. The first films at the new Stag Cinema were the Disney animation “Bolt” starring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, the children’s film “The Secret of Moonacre” and the surprise hit “Slumdog Millionaire”. New equipment was added to show 3D films in 2014 and new digital projectors and computers in 2016. The auditorium seats were completely renewed in 2013 and the cinema seats completely renewed in 2016. The Stag has been open for 364 days per year since the Town Council took over and it has been operating as a Not For Profit Charity since 2010.
