Workington Opera House given stay of execution
Last updated at 09:02, Wednesday, 09 June 2010
WORKINGTON’S redundant Opera House has been given a further stay of execution while councillors wait to see if it can be saved from demolition.
Graves (Cumberland) Ltd, which owns the building, wants to knock down the Coopers Walk building and three adjoining shops to build apartments and new retail units but 780 people have joined a Facebook campaign calling for it to be saved.
Members of Allerdale's development panel visited the site yesterday and, at a meeting at The Wave Centre in Maryport, said they had to try to keep the building as a entertainment venue.
They agreed to defer any decision on the demolition plans for three months to give campaigners a chance to come up with a rescue package for the building, which was built in the late 1800s as the Queen’s Jubilee Hall and Opera House.
As well as the Facebook group, a 117-name petition was submitted to the council.
They were recommended to grant planning permission for the project, which would also see the demolition of Supernews, the British Heart Foundation and the former Card Warehouse shop in favour of 15 apartments and nine shops.
Coun John Armstrong said: “It is a quality building and there is nowhere in West Cumbria quite like it.
“It has got to be saved for the people of Workington and West Cumbria and we need to see if there is any other way to preserve it."
Coun Peter Kendall said: “We need facilities like this in the area and we need to promote arts and leisure in the heart of the town centre of Workington so it must be kept.”
Coun Allan Caine added: “We should give it three months to see if anybody comes forward to restore it.”
Some councillors questioned whether three months would be long enough for people to put forward a solution.
Coun Alan Smith said: “It is a big area and a lot of work needs to be done with it.”
When the Opera House was built it had a capacity of 1,300.
It burned down in 1927 and was rebuilt as a cine-theatre before becoming a bingo hall in 1958.
It has been empty since 2004 when Opera Bingo moved to premises below Wilkinson on Ladies Walk.
First published at 09:01, Wednesday, 09 June 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
Get it knocked down! What could be worth anything inside?
All you campaigners wanting to keep it, just step back and think just how much it would cost to revive a building like that in this day and age, and when it's done, what use would it be?What on earth would we use another theatre for? We have enough trouble filling the Theater Royal and Carnegie.Maybe we could open it as an opera house? Yes, I think opera is very popular and it would be filled every night.Or perhaps an old time music hall?Or a cinema - oh, but we have one already at Dunmail - and that is hardly filled to capacity every night.If you can find a use for it, then you have to find somebody with the money to restore it. Now there's the hard part.By heck, sometimes I wonder . . . .
Have your say
In the article about the history of the opera house,you state the opera house became a bingo hall in 1958!I was asked by mr Jim Graves,if i would be interested,in being the caller if he started bingo,and i did so,And if my memory is correct,The first night,was friday august 4th 1960 And i continued calling for 10Years.Rocky Brown !
Posted by rocky brown on 13 June 2010 at 17:47