After hosting 600 performances at the Hawthorne Theatre, the Herts Jazz Club is being forced to find a new venue.

Since 2010 the club has received support from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council which has allowed it to use the venue for free once a week as well as hosting six annual festivals over the years.

The club reports that the proposed charges for the regular Sunday gigs and for the September Herts Jazz Festival are far too high to be viable.

Award-winning drummer Clark Tracey, artistic director of Herts Jazz, says: “We have had a fantastic six years, with brilliant support from all of the team there. We would love to stay here but simply cannot afford the proposed charges.

“It is such a shame that, now that we are on the national jazz map, having established the most prestigious arts event in the county and with the prospect of becoming a regular recording and broadcasting venue for the BBC, we will have to re-locate.

“We have already had talks with several possible new venues in the county but would like to hear from more if possible. For Sunday gigs, we need a capacity of 100-150, and for the annual festival a venue to seat 250-400 people.”

Established in 1969, Herts Jazz has become a renowned venue for jazz fans young and old, with appearances from some of the best jazz talent in the country.

The club was nominated in the 2013 Parliamentary Jazz Awards as Best Jazz Venue. It has just been selected by the BBC as a venue to record live gigs for broadcast with the first recording taking place on 6 November. This will be the first-ever national broadcast of an arts event from Welwyn Garden City.

They will also be joined by Andrew Bain's Quartet as part of their UK tour. Andrew Bain is one of the leading drummers and composers in the UK. This will be his first nationwide tour, for which he is joined by UK heavyweight pianist George Colligan, Thelonious Monk competition winner Jon Irabagon on saxophone and Michael Janisch on the bass.

Screen 2, Hawthorne Theatre, Welwyn Garden City, Sunday, November 6, 7.30pm until 10pm. Details: 0300 3039 620