"Please let us have something in Eccles to put us back on the map, don't waste a Grade 2 listed building to put up a monstrosity that doesn't belong here..." Bree Hughes
In the face of massive opposition from local residents, councillors and MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, plans to demolish the Grade 2 listed Crown Theatre in Eccles, and replace it with a block of unaffordable apartments were withdrawn by developer Foregate Limited last December (see previous Salford Star article click here)
Now, new plans have been submitted to Salford City Council and campaigners are gearing up for another battle to save the Crown Theatre.
In the proposals the developer is again aiming to fully demolish the Victorian building, built in 1898 and described by English Heritage (now Historic England) as "a rare surviving example of a suburban working-class theatre that still retains the original form of its auditorium and front of house".
The developer states that restoring the building would cost `in the region of £7million' and that the "significance of the Crown is limited. It has low aesthetic and artistic value and very minor illustrative historical value. ..It is not worthy of retention". The notion of even keeping the facade is dismissed as also being `unviable' and of "no archaeological interest".
When the previous demolition plans were revealed, Historic England objected, arguing that the loss of a Grade 2 listed building should only be in "exceptional" circumstances and only to achieve "substantial public benefits ...we do not consider this case to have been convincingly made"...
Historic England also noted that "the existence and active nature of the Save the Crown Theatre Eccles campaign group, demonstrates the level of public interest in the building..."
Now the Save the Crown Theatre Eccles campaign is gearing up for another fight, urging the community to sign its new petitions and submit objections before August 1st*.
"Unfortunately, as it's a new planning application we have to start from scratch, it's Day One again" says Bree Hughes, who lives behind the Theatre and helps run the Save the Crown Theatre Eccles campaign.
The group is not only campaigning to save the Crown Theatre and turn it to proper community use but also against the new plans that have been submitted for a seven storey high block, with no affordable housing and limited parking
The number of flats in the new proposal have been reduced from 95 to 72, with more three bedroom apartments but Bree argues that this makes no difference to the grounds for the community's original objections...
"They've made the flats bigger to head off our concerns that they weren't providing homes for families, but it doesn't matter if there's three bedroom flats or not because families around here will not be able to afford to buy or rent one" she insists "You can see what they've done to try and get around some of the last objections but it's just resulted in this grotesque thing."
The developer states in the planning application that "The proposed development has been sensitively designed to respect the site topography and the context within which it is located..." but the reaction so far has been total scorn...
"The last design was awful, this one looks like random shapes just thrown together" Bree says "It looks like someone's kind of half played a game of Tetris and then abandoned it.
"There's talk of people putting their houses up for sale on Mather Road because of what's possibly going to happen with the building" she reflects "It is a concern to me about the parking and the traffic but they haven't thought about saving any part of the theatre at all...
"...And my dream would be to save the theatre" she adds "Please let us have something in Eccles to put us back on the map, don't waste a Grade 2 listed building to put up a monstrosity that doesn't belong here. We don't need it and it's going to cause a massive knock-on effect for all the residents who live here."
Local councillors and Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long Bailey are already meeting with residents to discuss the new proposals...
"We're concerned about the lack of social housing and the loss of the facade" says Eccles Councillor Peter Wheeler "We're talking to local people in the area to see what they think..."
While going for total demolition of the Grade 2 listed Crown Theatre, the developer states in the planning proposal that a commemorative plaque "may be acceptable on the building or in the park opposite the site". This, again, has been met with scorn...
"What's it going to say?" asks Bree "`Once there stood the last building with any type of history here in Eccles...Let's celebrate this with a small plaque that shows you we've razed the thing to the ground, and we don't care'..."
To sign the new 38 Degrees petition to Save The Crown Theatre Eccles click here
Objections have to be lodged by 1st August via Salford Council's website click here and search application 16/68464/FUL
Further details and updates can be found on the Savethe Crown Theatre Facebook page click here
The next public meetings of the campaign group are Wednesday 20th July and Tuesday 26th July at 7pm, Nur Malaysia Cafe, Liverpool Road M30 OWA, 200yards from the Crown Theatre and opposite the Dog and Partridge pub
For a full background see previous Salford Star articles...
Demolition of Eccles Crown Theatre opposed by Salford MP, community and councillors - click here
Historic England Objects To Listed Theatre Demolition - click here
Theatres Trust Objects To Listed Theatre Demolition - click here
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