Since October there's been a huge campaign to block plans to demolish the Grade 2 listed Crown Theatre in Eccles in order to build 95 one and two bedroom unaffordable flats, with retail and `community space'.
Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long-Bailey, wanted "to bring this potentially beautiful building back into productive community use, and even better, community ownership if possible"...
Local councillors too opposed the plans, as did the Theatres Trust and Historic England which stated that the Crown Theatre was a "nationally important building". Meanwhile, Save The Crown Theatre Eccles had its own plans to restore the former bingo hall which will be 118 years old next February, and was constantly on the streets of Eccles gaining signatures for its petition and building awareness for its campaign.
Today the campaign learned that Indigo Planning, which submitted the demolition plans on behalf of developer Foregate Limited, had withdrawn its controversial and unpopular application in the face of a likely defeat at the Salford Council's planning panel.
"It's great news" said Jon Grieves of Save The Crown Theatre Eccles "It gives the community a chance to put forward the plans and ideas that we want for the theatre, which are to turn it back into a community hub; a multi-purpose auditorium where the people of Eccles and Salford will get use of the building again for entertainment and leisure. I think the area needs more of that.
"We want to bring people together and we want to go forward with something for the older people in the form of a dementia cafe" he added "This gives us another opportunity to have the Crown back to what it was, rather than a building full of one and two bedroom flats."
However, while the planning application for the demolition has been withdrawn, the battle is by no means over...
"We've withdrawn because it's come to the end of the determination period with the Council and we want to look at the comments that have been received and get some more information together" Deborah Baker from Indigo Planning told the Salford Star "We're planning to re-submit in the new year."
Having won the first skirmish, the Save the Crown Theatre campaign continues...
For a full background see previous Salford Star articles...
* Demolition of Crown Theatre opposed by MP, councillors and community - click here
* Historic England objects to demolition of Crown Theatre - click here
* Theatres Trust objects to demolition of Crown Theatre - click here
(4).JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
