Councillors 'hoodwinked' over theatre demolition
GoogleCouncillors have said they feel "hoodwinked" over the proposed demolition of a town centre theatre which shut in April.
In October, Cannock Chase District Council's planning committee approved for the Forum Shopping Centre in Cannock to be knocked down as part of regeneration plans.
The officers clarified at the time the neighbouring Prince of Wales Theatre would be excluded from the scheme, adding a condition to strengthen its position.
But cabinet members agreed at a meeting on 4 December to the inclusion of the venue, "within the red line for the regeneration programme with the intention to demolish, subject to planning consent".
On Tuesday, members of the council's economic prosperity scrutiny committee called for the cabinet's decision to be referred back.
Councillor Darrell Mawle, who put forward a motion, said "it came as quite a shock" and said members did not have enough evidence "to justify this course of action".
"There has been no clear social economic impact assessment to inform the decision to demolish it. There has not been a diligent process to explore alternative options for ongoing operation of the theatre," he added.
'Very disappointing'
Fellow scrutiny committee member Samantha Thompson, who is also on the planning committee, said: "There was a lot of hope for the Prince of Wales Theatre and I felt we have been conned.
"We were given a condition that the Prince of Wales would be protected and it's as if people were saying what we wanted to hear. I find it very disappointing, I feel we have been let down and I feel we were a bit hoodwinked on that."
The 427-seat venue shut as part of cost-saving measures to address a £1.3m council budget shortfall.
In September the cabinet voted against transferring it to the Cannock Chase Theatre Trust (CCTT), despite a campaign from local residents.
At the time the shopping centre application was submitted, the decision to not proceed with the theatre's transfer as a community asset to CCTT had not yet been made, scrutiny members heard.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
