West Brom's The Public to shut two weeks ahead of plans

The West Bromwich arts centre was due to close its doors on November 30 after Sandwell Council pulled funding.

However bosses said today that they need two weeks to pack up and close the venue down.

Last week it emerged that the council is set to sign a deal with Sandwell College to transform the building into a sixth-form college which would include arts space and a business support facility.

The deal – under which Sandwell College and the council enter into a 25-year partnership – is set to be put to the borough council's cabinet of senior councillors on October 16.

Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper has said the transformation of The Public would save taxpayers £37 million over the course of the building's proposed lease, instead of the council maintaining its current annual subsidy of nearly £1.6m.

The transformation will mean closing The Public's doors in November to allow conversion work on all floors of the building in time for a sixth-form centre there to open in September 2014.

It had initially been reported that the venue would close on November 30, however it will be earlier.

Linda Saunders, managing director of the New Street centre said: "Our contract ends on the 30th, We have agreed with the council that we will close on November 16 simply because we have got to pack up our stuff and we cannot close the building and pack up in one day."

Mrs Saunders said around five members of staff had already left, but it was likely more would leave closer to the closing date.

She added; "We have to pack and close up and obviously we physically hand the building back to the council on the 29th of November so we need two weeks to pack our stuff up and sort our stuff out and leave the building."

Businesses and community groups which are currently based at the building, but which need to relocate, are being given help by the council to find new homes.