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Scarborough's Futurist Theatre - Key questions the council MUST answer - COMMENT

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Published Date: 09 December 2009
TODAY the Evening News calls on Scarborough Council to come clean on its strategy and intentions for the Futurist Theatre.
The call comes amid growing public alarm and concern that the council seems to be unaware of the strength of support for the building to be retained as a theatre.

To help clear up the growing controversy, we present the dozen questions alongside for the council to be able to state its position.

We invite the council to respond with straight answers.

Our questions are as follows:

1 WHY has the council not issued any statement of support in favour of the Futurist?

2 WHY has the council also declined to make any official statement in regard to the building being used as a theatre at all?

3 WHY does the council think that the Spa Grand Hall is a better
alternative to the Futurist?

4 WHY was the current leaseholder of the Futurist excluded from the latest consultant's report and its "findings" which were against the Futurist's role?

5 WHAT does the council plan to replace the big and versatile stage with?

6 WHY has Scarborough's most popular theatre been left in limbo for so long, with no public information available on the strategy from either the council or Yorkshire Forward?

7 Why has the council allowed the Futurist to deteriorate for so many years, with decrepit decor, toilets and heating systems, and with leaks, damp walls and poor environment, and low quality public and backstage areas?

8 WHY has the leaseholder of the Futurist not been able to accept any acts, shows or concerts for 2011?

10 Why has the leaseholder, with all his years of experience and contacts, been driven to appeal for public support to defend the Futurist as a performance venue?

11 WHY put at risk all the Futurist's spin-off benefits for hotels and restaurants and the local economy, as well as Scarborough's name?

12 WHAT provision is being made for an alternative cinema?
At the weekend top performers appearing at the venue made dramatic on-stage appeals to the capacity audiences of more than 2,000 people, urging them to protest against the council's moves.

Barrie Stead, the leaseholder of the Futurist, which is owned by the council, is having to turn away acts, shows, concerts and performers for 2011 because there is no official support for the venue more than a year ahead.

Mr Stead that this fact alone will kill off the Futurist, which has limped on without modernisation of facilities for years.

The council says that nothing has been decided, as it prepares for a multi-million pound investment at the Spa instead, including the Grand Hall and its stage.

In May this year another consultant's report, which excluded Mr Stead from its deliberations, said Scarborough had a straight choice – the Futurist or the Spa.

The report by council-employed consultants Drivers Jonas was in contrast to a first consultant's report which listed the renovation of the Futurist and adjoining sites as an option.

The latest report commissioned by the council with a remit to consider the matter again came down firmly in favour of the Spa, saying: "The two venues, so close to one another with a similar events programme, are competing for the same audience. This is an unsustainable situation.

"Far greater value could be achieved if either the Spa or the Futurist became the sole large-scale venue in Scarborough. The Spa has the advantage of being a multi-purpose venue capable of hosting a greater variety of events than the Futurist, which has fixed seating."

Read the full story and sign the protest form in today's Evening News

What do you think? You can leave your comments below
Email us: letters@scarborougheveningnews.co.uk

Write to: Evening News, Aberdeen Walk, Scarborough, Y011 1BB.

Text us: Text the word SENEDITOR and send with your message to 81800 (25p charge plus standard national rate. See terms in Public Notices)

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  • Last Updated: 09 December 2009 8:49 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Scarborough
 
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21

English like wot she is meant to be spoke,

09/12/2009 14:20:15
#20 The problem is - and it has been touched on a few times in recent weeks - it is becoming ever clearer that the elected members have little input to the decisions that are being made on their, and our, behalf by the unelected council officers.
22

heavensentmum,

09/12/2009 15:36:06
"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!"


Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto vi. Stanza 17.
Scottish author & novelist (1771 - 1832)
23

darkstairs,

09/12/2009 15:46:22
#22
Spot on!

And impossible to rectify.
24

darkstairs,

09/12/2009 15:48:39
oops
meant #21 spot on.

but applies to #22 as well!
25

hometownboy,

09/12/2009 18:25:27
Its about time that the SBC came clean on this issue.They should be ashamed to even consider demolishing the futurist. They need to listen to the people that voted them in after all its them that are going to be effected most.Its obvious that this council has lost its focus and are more interested in swanning off on mass to awards ceromonies that no one has ever heard of, so they should either waken up pronto or start packing up the contents of their desks.
26

YouGotToLaugh,

09/12/2009 19:40:42
I see the name JIM DILLON has yet to appear on these pages. This is the man who's masterplan is, I belive, to sell off all the council's assetts to pump some cash into the dwindling and fastly deteriorting coffers.

Do a little research on his previous position and amazingly enough the council's assets were sold off there too.

The master plan IS to sell of king st area all the way to the futurist for redevelopment. (I doubt it will be a theatre though. nice new retirement penthouses perhaps?)The majority of the town hall will be sold.


Do the buffoons really believe that Scarborough spa is a good a venue (even after redevelopment) as Brid spa ? Brid spa blows it out of the water.

Lets hope Tony Peers has enough productions to keep our residents and visitors happy over the next few years at the Spa, as major acts will not visit. They never have and never will ( please dont refer to feeder as a major act!)
27

Xann,

09/12/2009 23:56:48
Council officials have wanted to demolish the Futurist for some time and use it, and the car park behind it, on King Street to make some mega development of flats and arcades etc. "The Sands" on the South Side. A Council Official in July said at one of the Rennaisance meetings how he'd like someone to blow the Futurist up. The "other" solution is the one used with our other proper theatre, the Royal opera House, and deliberately let it decline into such a state that it "has" to be demolished.

This must not happen. Scarborough without a decent sized theatre will be a shadow of itself, losing access to all the big acts and shows. An Open Air Theatre open perhaps 10 days a year is no substitute. Nor is the Spa, or the Theatre in the Round. Another question that should be asked is: Why isn't Scarborough Council trying to raise the money to preserve and restore the Futurist? There are plenty of grants and money out there.

The officials who run the Council seem to be trying to destroy our last proper theatre by stealth. That is the only explanation for their inaction and double-speak.
28

Perspicacious one,

10/12/2009 08:50:20
Is SBCs JIM DILLON any relation to the film star MATT DILLON after all they are both COWBOYS.
29

rush to the top,

10/12/2009 11:56:52
#21 Fair point - this situation is plainly obvious. The power lies within the council paid staff, not elected members. Sad for deomocracy, but true.

But not all is lost for those wanting the truth - key figures from Regeneration and Planning are available to be held to account at public meetings. I've seen elected councillors turn up to these to try and find out what's going on. As I understand it, Yorkshire Forward won't hand over a penny unless this system is in place. Make a noise at these meetings and Yorkshire Forward will hear about it. I suspect at present SBC are pulling the wool over their eyes.

#26 This is pretty clear - the council are struggling for money, SBC policy is to sell assets to make up the loss. Dillon appears to be a hatchet man.

'Keeping the Futurist' is not a viable financial option, but redevelopment of the venue might be, especially now that Yorkshire Forward have a stake as it's in their interest to be seen to deliver, not sell off. It will need private investment too to make it work. The only solution is to encourage SBC to explore this angle. Otherwise a sell-off is definitely on the cards.

I'd like to see the Town Team get their teeth into this and insist on proper research into possible options. They're the only people who have the potential influence to make this happen and SBC are financially obliged to take notice.
30

Futurist Fan,

Scarborough 10/12/2009 15:16:20
#27 - "Council officials have wanted to demolish the Futurist for some time and use it, and the car park behind it, on King Street to make some mega development of flats and arcades etc. "The Sands" on the South Side. A Council Official in July said at one of the Rennaisance meetings how he'd like someone to blow the Futurist up."

I have heard this same theory repeated in a certain bottom end pub by a certain well known concellor, who added with a wink that "we would have to trust them!" I have a sad feeling that the fate of the Futurist is a done deal already - but that shouldnt stop us complaining and making sure none of them are returned the next time we get to vote - just a pity we cant get rid of the unelected council officers who are hell bent on carrying on this unwanted, so called "re-development."
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