NO deal has yet been done for the under-threat Spa Pavilion – with the theatre still up for sale or lease.

There had been rumours in the resort that the venue had already been sold to a developer for a multi-use project, following a statement in an independent community magazine.

But officials at Suffolk Coastal council say there is no truth in the rumours, and that specialist agents Jones Lang LaSalle have only just started re-marketing the seafront property to try to attract a bidder.

The agent will be contacting all those who expressed an interest in the Spa in the previous attempt to find a new operator or owner to see if they are ready to put in a proposal and open up negotiations, as well as seeking new potential bidders. The Spa Pavilion has not appeared on the company’s website.

A Suffolk Coastal spokesman said the Spa had not yet been sold and any decisions regarding the future of the theatre would be made – as they have so far – with the full knowledge of the public.

The council says it can no longer afford the annual �250,000 cost of the theatre. It says according to independent expert advice, it would cost an estimated �8million for the Spa to be successful as a theatre over the next ten years.

“We cannot hide from our own financial realities, but it does not mean that there is not a future for the Spa and we would love to hear from all those with fully costed and deliverable proposals that would add to the unique tourism and cultural offer available in Felixstowe,” said cabinet member Geoff Holdcroft.