Firepool plans to go ahead despite theatre project

The Firepool masterplan – which was approved by the district council in March – includes a commitment to the multi-purpose venue

Plans for a new arts venue will not stop a similar scheme within a former cattle market site, Somerset Council has pledged.

The approved masterplan for the Firepool regeneration area, in Taunton, includes a multi-purpose venue - funded in part through the sale of 430 homes within the site.

The Somerset Arts Business Cultural Alliance (SABCA) and the Creative Innovation Centre (CICCIC) have also put together Project Gaumont, which aims to bring the former Gaumount Theatre back into use as a arts and culture venue.

Somerset Council said it had received requests to meet with Project Gaumont representatives, and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the Firepool venue if a successful business case could be made.

The Grade II listed building hosted live music and attracted high-profile bands in its heyday – including David Bowie, Elton John, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones and The Stranglers.

It closed in 1981 but reopened two months later as a Top Rank bingo club which later became a Mecca Bingo club.

Live theatre is not possible within Project Gaumont, due to the limitations of the listed building

The team behind Project Gaumont believe returning the theatre to its original use would benefit the town centre and provide better value for money than building a new venue from scratch, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A spokesman said: “Any new-build will have to be away from the town centre and hence will not benefit it, which we believe is an essential element in keeping our town centre alive."

Project Gaumont wants the building to host a range of events, from live music and comedy to trade shows, film screenings, sports events, circus performances and banquets.

The building was acquired by Somerset West and Taunton Council in January 2020 for £2.1m, then automatically transferred to Somerset Council on April 1, with Mecca Bingo still holding the lease on the facility.

A council spokesman said: “There has been no request to us for financial support or other advice. There are no discussions happening or currently planned about selling this asset or transferring anything to Project Gaumont.”

The Firepool masterplan will also include a 130-bed hotel, an eight-screen cinema, a bowling alley, a nursery and a health hub.

The district council estimated in November 2021 it would cost about £25m to deliver the venue, with the bulk of the funding coming from the sale of houses at the eastern edge of the site.

Somerset Council said it remained committed to delivering the venue on Firepool provided funding was sufficient.

A spokesman said: “The facility would have a broad scope of uses that are unlikely to be met by the Gaumont building."