Dear Councillors,
We write following the recent Cabinet proposal for the inclusion of the Prince of Wales Theatre within the demolition red line for the regeneration programme.
For those of you who attended our briefing sessions in July, who engaged with our campaign materials, or who simply care about the cultural life of this district, we wanted to ensure you understand what this decision represents to your constituents – and to ask whether you believe this truly reflects the will of the people you serve.
The Numbers:
- 19,781 petition signatures opposing theatre closure
- £27,209 raised by the community for theatre preservation
- £7,000 awarded by Theatres Trust for planning support
- 35+ active volunteers committed to community operation
- 70,000+ annual visitors to the theatre under previous operation
- 79% – the score awarded by an independent assessor to our CAT bid
- 21.6% – the score awarded by SLC to the same submission
- 0 – the number of cultural venues that will remain in Cannock
- 0 – the right of reply afforded to CCTC
- 1 – the right of reply afforded to SLC
Fifteen of your thirty-five members attended our July briefings. We presented evidence. We answered questions. Several of you expressed support.
What happened next defied any reasonable expectation of good faith:
Our 65-page rebuttal was excluded from Cabinet papers, on the grounds that it would deny SLC a “right of reply”. At Scrutiny, SLC’s consultants were permitted to sit and contribute; we were required to observe in silence. Developments notified to the Council after our submission – including secured underwriting of our mobilisation costs – were not reflected in the assessment. The same consultancy that advised the Council to close the theatre was appointed to assess whether the community could save it.
We met every condition the Council stated publicly. We submitted a viable revenue plan. We secured professional endorsements. We raised community funds. And we were told it wasn’t enough.
This theatre was meant to be refurbished. That was the plan. £20 million of Levelling Up funding, a cultural hub, investment in the town centre’s night-time economy.
Instead: approximately £18 million allocated on demolition and CPO’s, the cultural elements stripped from the scheme, £2 million quietly loaned for leisure centre improvements, and a vote to demolish the theatre. When residents look at the cleared site where the multi-storey car park once stood, and then at the shuttered theatre beside it, what exactly should they conclude about the Council’s regeneration priorities?
We understand that not all of you sit on Cabinet. We understand that party discipline constrains individual action.
But we would ask each of you to reflect on this:
- Do you believe the assessment process was fair?
- Do you believe a 57.8 percentage point discrepancy between two professional assessments was adequately explained before demolition is to be voted upon?
- Do you believe Cannock Chase – a district already facing significant deprivation and health inequalities – is better served by zero cultural venues than by one?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then what are you prepared to do about it?
Demolition requires planning consent. We will be making representations during that process. We encourage any member who shares our concerns to do the same.
We have published all our documentation at www.princeofwalestheatre.com
Unlike others, we have nothing to hide.
The 20,000 people who signed the petition are watching. They will remember.
Regards,
Cannock Chase Theatre Trust
on behalf of the Cannock Chase community