New theatre 'ambition' deemed not good enough
Jennie DennettPerformers in a town where the main theatre is being demolished have criticised planners for only stating an "ambition" to replace it and not giving a guarantee of if or when it will be built.
The Forum in Barrow, Cumbria, was shut in 2024 over asbestos issues and is set to be torn down.
Team Barrow, the group behind redevelopment plans for the town, said it has a "shared ambition" to build a replacement and would commit a "significant amount" of funds.
But Walney Musical Theatre Company (WMTC) said the announcement was "not good enough" and "stops short of providing any guarantee that one will be delivered, what it will look like, when it will be built, or how it will be funded and operated".
In a statement sent on behalf of Westmorland and Furness Council, BAE Systems and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Team Barrow Chair Simon Case said the organisation was "aware of the community's growing frustration" at the lack of certainty over The Forum's replacement, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
He added the programme had to be "financially viable".
"For us to succeed and deliver a town centre that the people of Barrow deserve, arts and culture must sit at the heart of any future plans," he said.
"We are very clear about this and our position hasn't changed, which is why we are prepared to commit a significant amount of the £200m Barrow Transformation Fund towards this scheme.
"This includes a shared ambition to build a new theatre."
In response, WMCT said the Forum had been closed for over two years but "Team Barrow and Westmorland and Furness Council are still 'exploring options' for what comes next".
The company said the town deserves certainty because "aspirations alone are not enough".
Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham slammed the council last week over its handling of the theatre's replacement and the Heart of Barrow programme which is focused on transforming the town centre.
She said there had been a lack of "transparency and accountability" around decision-making, calling for residents to be involved in decisions.
Case said that "once more detailed proposals have been developed", residents, businesses and others would be "actively engaged", anticipating that happening in early autumn.
