Frustration at 'sad' wait for new theatre plans
BBCCalls have been made to speed up the provision of a temporary theatre space to replace a soon-to-be demolished venue.
The Forum in Barrow shut suddenly in July 2024 due to concern about asbestos getting into the building from work in the adjoining market but, despite town chiefs claiming they have "a shared ambition to build a new theatre", no replacement has been confirmed.
Frustration is mounting in the town over the lack of specific details, including about a temporary venue to accommodate shows in the meantime.
Walney Musical Theatre Society (WMTC)'s chairman John Edwards said the wait had been "sad" and "frustrating".
He said: "We've wanted to see [pace] for two years, that's what everybody seems to want.
"Michelle Scrogham [the local MP] is really pushing for that but it feels like it's falling on deaf ears.
"The plans are there and £200m is there, so what are they waiting for?".
Team Barrow, which is in charge of regeneration plans for the town, this week said a "significant amount" of its £200m pot would go into a new theatre provision, but the group has decline to answer questions about the specifics.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Lib-Dem led Westmorland and Furness Council, BAE Systems and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - the three bodies making up "Team Barrow" - chairman Simon Case said details would be shared "shortly".
He said "we are developing a programme of exciting, temporary interventions that will bridge the gap between now and when the full scheme is completed" but the organisation would not say what these are.
Edwards expressed frustration at the slow pace of interim plans materialising.
He said: "Those plans exist, they are ready to go.
"I have sat and discussed a temporary theatre space that we would use, we were told it could be up within six months, as soon as the funding was approved.
"Well, this is three months down the line, where is it?"
Since The Forum's closure, shows have been staged at venues, including Barrow's Town Hall and the Coronation Hall in Ulverston.
Case said Team Barrow wanted to ensure a future venue would be sustainable and said the council, which has £40m cuts in the pipeline, would be unlikely to "solely take on the direct responsibility for any new major venues in the future".
Labour MP Michelle Scrogham complained about the "glacial speed" of plans for a new theatre space.
She said: "There just doesn't seem to be either the will or the vision to do something that the people of Barrow deserve."