With new plans for the land on which the Grade 2 Eccles Crown Theatre currently stands about to be submitted to Salford City Council's planning panel, campaigners aiming to save the building are now concerned that a huge fire could happen, after large amounts of dry wood and rubble were moved into what remains of its auditorium.
"Residents have spent ten years asking them to clear the site because it is an eyesore and only now has the developer cleared it; but all the wood that was outside has now been bulldozed into the auditorium" explained a spokesman for the Save The Crown Theatre Eccles campaign "So we've now got a nice pile of tinder dry kindling, which is like a huge bonfire waiting to be lit.
"We've contacted local councillors, Lisa Stone and Peter Wheeler, over our concerns and have spoken with the local fire station" he added "The fire brigade said that because the building isn't occupied or a workplace they cannot actually do anything, which is very sad and a huge risk. They have now put the building on their system as high risk.
"As Save The Crown Theatre we did secure it to keep the children out but now there's gaping holes where anyone could crawl under or lever the fence apart" he said "We've already had small fires in there over the last months and we've had homeless people living in there for 12 months."
Plans to demolish the theatre and build 95 unaffordable flats were withdrawn in December after opposition from residents, local councillors, Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long Bailey, the Theatres Trust and Historic England which called the Crown Theatre a "nationally important building" (see here).
New plans for the site are understood to have been submitted to Salford Council which will go before its planning panel in the near future. The Save The Crown Theatre Eccles campaign wants to save the listed building and turn it into a community facility... "Our priority is opposing the removal of the Grade 2 listing and then it's what we do with the building" explained the spokesman.
Of even greater concern at the moment is the imminent risk of a huge blaze if someone drops a match on the woodpile...
"We have spoken to representatives of the private owners of the building, regarding concerns we have around safety" Billy Myers, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's Salford Area Manager told the Salford Star "The discussions are on-going."
Meanwhile, David Monks, agent for theatre owners Keresforth Limited explained "The work being undertaken at the Crown is what has been agreed with Simon Geggie the Environmental Crime Investigations Officer of Salford City Council. The work being done is to tidy up the site and to make it more secure."
While Monks accused an activist of "spreading lies about what work is being done at the Crown", photos of the auditorium obtained by the Salford Star show that while the outside has been tidied up, the inside is, indeed, a bonfire waiting to happen...
The Save The Crown Theatre Eccles campaign has a public meeting tonight, Tuesday 7th June, 7pm, at the Nur Malaysia Community Cafe on Liverpool Road, two blocks up from the theatre. All are welcome to attend.
For a full background see previous Salford Star articles...
Eccles Theatre Demolition Opposed by Salford MP, Community and Councillors - click here
Historic England Objects to Theatre's Demolition Plans - click here
Theatres Trust Objects to Theatre Demolition Plans - click here
Grade 2 Listed Eccles Crown Theatre in Danger of Demolition - click here
.JPG)
.JPG)
(3).JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
(5).JPG)
(1).JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
