A last ditch attempt to stop today's auction of the Grade II listed Victoria Theatre by getting Salford Council to fast-track an application for it to be deemed an 'asset of community value' failed.*
Instead, the auction by Pugh went ahead at the AJ Bell Stadium with a guide price of £350,000 but there were only two bids, one of £310,000 and one for £320,000, which wasn't enough for a sale today...
"We can breathe again for the moment but it is still on the market" says Sam Kelly of the Salford Victoria Theatre Trust who was at the auction handing out leaflets to prospective buyers informaing them that the building was Grade II listed and couldn't be bulldozed.
"Tomorrow I'll try to find out what the state of play is with the nomination we made for asset of community value" Sam adds "The theatre didn't sell today but we're not out of the woods..."
The Trust is hoping to either buy the theatre or to work with a potential buyer to restore it to its former glory and use it to benefit the community.
For further details see the Friends of the Salford Victoria Facebook page click here
There is also a petition to help save the Victoria Theatre click here to sign it
*For a full background see previous Salford Star article and follow the links click here