Trust 'devastated' as theatre plan ruled unviable

The Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock has remained closed since April

A community group has said it is "devastated" after its bid to take over a Staffordshire theatre threatened with permanent closure was ruled unviable.

Cannock Chase Theatre Trust's (CCTT's) business plan to run Cannock's Prince of Wales Theatre was "categorically ruled out" by an independent report commissioned by the district council.

Bosses at the authority said the report highlighted a lack of operational detail, audience focus and financial realism in the group's proposal.

In a statement, CCTT said it received "overwhelming support" from residents who showed the venue, which has been closed since April, was "at the beating heart" of the community.

It added that the proposal had taken months of volunteer work, with people sacrificing time with families, and said: "The council announcement was devastating."

The trust claimed its independent specialist scored the proposal at 79%, while the council's report gave it 21%, despite commending the group's "community ambition and intent".

Council leader Tony Johnson said he was "disappointed" by the findings of the report

The report recommended not proceeding with the CCTT plan and it will be discussed by the authority in September.

The trust urged residents to contact councillors, adding: "We refuse to let Cannock become a cultural desert, but we can't do it alone."

It added: "We're not naïve dreamers - we're former teachers, senior managers, safeguarding specialists, business owners, with professional expertise and a robust plan."

The Prince of Wales Theatre closed as part of regeneration work in the town centre and the council decided not to reopen it as part of measures to close a £1.3m budget gap.

Council leader Tony Johnson said he was disappointed by the recommendation not to take the trust's proposals further but it would be "reckless and irresponsible" to ignore the report's findings.

"I know how much work and enthusiasm the people behind CCTT put into this and I, like thousands of others, was desperate for them to succeed and give us a viable plan we could support which would see the Prince of Wales Theatre reopen and thrive," he said.

"We are being asked to invest millions of taxpayers' money in refurbishing the theatre and risk leaving the council exposed to a potentially crippling financial burden if the trust cannot break even."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.