Could more be done to save the theatre?

I am sure I am not alone in wanting Scarborough, as a town, to pause, stop and think before we make a final decision to demolish the Futurist and lose the building and the venue, forever.

Is this a decision that is too big for councillors alone to take? Could we not have a local referendum and a final decision taken on the outcome?

Scarborough has a history of knocking down buildings, replacing them with something inferior and then regretting it for decades afterwards - the Pavilion Hotel springs to mind.

When the Open Air Theatre closes for the season, Scarborough is not over-blessed with venues for concerts and conferences and we need more to complement what the Spa offers. The town has certainly been the poorer for not having the Futurist’s offer.

Scarborough seems to have been able to find money and investment for projects in the past when it was necessary, why can’t we do so now to save the Futurist for future generations?

The Futurist is now at number 10 on the Theatre Trust’s at risk register. Can we not somehow get enough community support to save the building with the trust’s backing – as so many others across the country have done?

Of course we need attractions for tourists but there are other locations, without sacrificing all that the Futurist has to offer.

Before the bulldozers move in we must really be able to look into our conscience and say we have exhausted every possibility, because we will not be able to bring it back once it has gone.

Mike Padgham, managing director, St Cecilia’s Care Services Eastway Eastfield