Rocking Horse studio, Durham, faces closure due to development

Rocking Horse Rehearsal Rooms and Recording Studio sits at the heart of Durham's music scene. Located on Frankland Lane, the studio has been the home of countless County Durham musicians. 

But this vital asset for the city's culture has come under threat in the last year, with the venue's landlords, Harrison Commercial Properties, applying for planning permission to develop the site. 

This redevelopment would see the units currently occupying the site, including Rocking Horse, demolished, and replaced with four new units. 

Read more: Efforts to save Durham's Rocking Horse Rehearsal Rooms stepped up

Rich Combstock, the owner of Rocking Horse, explained that every penny that has come unit the business over the last decade has been reinvested in the building. Rich has done all of the plumbing, electric and soundproofing work himself. 

He estimates that he has invested at least £50,000 into the building, but a rebuild would cost even more, as materials are "much less affordable, and much harder to come across."

Rich's care and investment in the building have paid off - as Rocking Horse has built a committed community of patrons in the city. Musicians return year after year to record albums, with more than 300 artists coming through the recording studio's doors. 

The rehearsal rooms are used by around 40 bands every week, and Rich has even mentored four young aspiring sound engineers who have progressed into the professional domain. 

Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the City of Durham, and the Parish Council have both declared their support for the independent music studio. 

Rocking Horse owner Rich Combstock and MP Mary Kelly Foy. (Image: Mary Kelly Foy)

MP Mary Kelly Foy said: "Make no mistake, Rocking Hose is a vital part of the live music scene, with almost no other facilities like this in the county."

"Allowing Rocking Horse to close would be tantamount to bulldozing the legacy of the City of Culture bid. If the council can't protect the future of our only recording and rehearsal space in the city, Durham will, without doubt, be culturally poorer."

With a decision on the redevelopment expected on Tuesday 13 December, the business's future has been thrown into uncertainty, as Rich does not know what the coming weeks could hold.

Read more: Plea to save Durham's Rocking Horse Rehearsal Rooms

Rich said: "Rocking Horse's future is clouded at the moment, and I am trying everything I can to try and keep it afloat."

"We are an important part of the city's cultural infrastructure, and it would be a huge loss to the whole region."

"Durham has a rich musical tradition and needs facilities such as Rocking Horse to continue to nurture and encourage musicians in their development."

For many, there is nothing like Rocking Horse elsewhere in the county, with a petition organised by Rich garnering 3,500 signatures in support of the business. 

One supporter said: "The building is well used by musicians and a vital and integral place to help young and old musicians be creative and explore their skill and help others learn a new skill."

Another said: "Rocking Horse is integral to Durham's art scene, which punches above its weight both nationally and globally and is a real source of value to the area."

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