More than 18,000 people have signed a petition to save a Staffordshire theatre, which is at risk of closure due to a £1.3 million council funding gap.
Cannock Chase District Council has launched a consultation which could see the closure of the town’s Prince of Wales Theatre, as well as the Museum of Cannock Chase in neighbouring Hednesford, by the end of April next year.
Officials say closing the museum and theatre, which are run by registered charity Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL), could save the council more than £350,000 annually, which would help protect other services – but residents say that the loss of the cultural and heritage venues would ‘kill the arts within Cannock Chase district’.
More than 18,000 people have signed an online petition against the theatre closure in one week, while a separate petition relating to the museum has almost 2,000 names. A Facebook page called Save Cannock Chase Heritage & Culture has almost 1,700 followers.
One resident wrote: “Angry is not the word! I am absolutely appalled. This is yet another kick in the teeth for the arts and our local heritage and culture,” while another added: “This will affect businesses as people go into Cannock to eat and drink before and after shows”.
Cannock Chase MP Josh Newbury has backed calls for the theatre to remain open, saying that he would do ‘everything in his power’ to save the venue – and raised the proposed closure in the House of Commons earlier this week.
Council Leader Tony Johnson said this was one of the hardest decisions he had ever been involved in as a councillor.
He said: “Nobody wants to be in this position – it is an extremely difficult decision to have to make. But alternatives, such as inflation busting taxes that would hit every household, including those already struggling to make ends meet, or reducing or cutting services which many residents and businesses rely on, is not one we want to contemplate.”
The theatre was set to be refurbished as part of a town centre regeneration project being part-funded by a £20 million Government Levelling Up grant. Daily Focus reported that the multi-million pound Northern Gateway scheme would also include improvements to the council’s Beecroft Road car park and the demolition of the town’s former multi-storey car park.
A four-week consultation period on the proposed closures, which includes an online survey, ends on Friday, 2 January. A final decision will be made at the council meeting on Wednesday, February 12.
