Work to replace the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) panels in The Sands Centre auditorium roof has restarted following agreement on a revised programme with Cubby Group, who acquired Cubby Construction in July 2025.
After the change in ownership, Cumberland Council’s project team worked closely with the new Cubby Group management and GLL to develop a safe and practical plan for work to resume. The delay stemmed from the severe damage caused by Storm Éowyn, that took place earlier this year, and the need for comprehensive reassessments of the temporary roof canopy to ensure the structure’s long‑term safety and resilience.
Work is now well underway and will be completed in time for the event programme to restart mid-June 2026.
As a result, events scheduled between February and 14 June 2026 will be affected. GLL, who operate the site on behalf of the council, will contact ticket holders directly with further updates.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said:
"The Sands Centre repairs have been hit by a series of issues that were out of our control including the impact of Storm Éowyn earlier this year.
“This has caused a number of challenges, but work has now restarted, and we look forward to seeing the works completed. We understand the frustration and disappointment for ticket holders. GLL is working with their promoters to find solutions for the affected dates so please keep an eye out for emails with further updates.”
Kirk Taylor, Managing Director of Cubby Construction, added:
“Since Cubby Group acquired Cubby Construction in July 2025, our priority has been to work collaboratively with Cumberland Council, and GLL, alongside using our own Cubby Group subsidiary, Laidlaw Scaffolding and canopy design teams to ensure works at The Sands Centre continue to progress safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.
“Following the exceptional wind conditions and damage caused by Storm Éowyn, Cubby Construction carried out comprehensive reviews within which additional safety factors were considered and introduced to ensure the strength and resilience of the temporary roof structure would be able to withstand a storm event with higher wind speeds than that of storm Eowyn.
“We are proud to support the council and our partners in re‑establishing momentum on this key community project and remain committed to delivering a safe, durable, and high‑quality outcome.”
Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL), Operator of The Sands Centre said:
"Following notification of the delayed reopening date from Cumberland Council, GLL is working closely with promoters to secure alternative arrangements for affected events.
“We kindly ask customers not to contact the Box Office directly at this time. Ticketholders will be contacted as soon as possible by their original point of purchase with all available options. Customers will also be able to find updated information for all rescheduled events at thesandscentre.co.uk and via The Sands Centre Social Media Channels."
In addition to the removal and replacement of the RAAC panels, the council is also undertaking some additional internal improvements to the auditorium including a full replacement of the customer seating and upgrades to the back of house facilities.
As part of the roof replacement, several associated works will also be carried out.
These include upgrading the ventilation system (which involves visually altering the roof profile by removing the plenums), enhancing the lighting system, and upgrading the fire alarm system.
Additionally, the roof access will be improved to facilitate future maintenance of the equipment located on the roof.
The temporary closure of the events space to allow the works to be undertaken does not impact on the day to day running of the main leisure centre.
The new main Sands Centre building’s leisure provision is unaffected, which includes the pools, gym, studios, sports hall and reopened Riverside Café.
For events information, visit thesandscentre.co.uk