Darlington borough Council is facing uproar today after it emerged it’s planning to demolish a £300,000 theatre just two years after it opened. The Young People’s Theatre has been running since 2006 at Darlington Arts Centre and is funded by the Arts Council. Unfortunately, the centre is owned by Darlington Borough Council who are considering desperate attempts to cut expenditure after a three point eight million pound overspend on two high profile road projects. In a budgetry crisis it seems that the arts stand to take the fall.
A member of the Darlington Media Group said: “The consequences of these proposals are a great deal more far-reaching. The major losers will be Darlington Media Group and the many evening and daytime adult education class members.” The site is about to be sold to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College which intends to open a new department there.
Martin Swainston, the leader of the council’s Lib Dem group, said: “This is short-sighted financial management. This theatre is something that taxpayers have paid for, and paid for recently.” Though a council spokesperson said:“The council sees this as an opportunity to work with the college towards improving education attainment in Darlington, which is one of the aims of Darlington’s Community Strategy. We are committed to improving access to the arts in Darlington. If the proposal is agreed, detailed discussions will need to take place with the sixth form college and with the Arts Council about the possibility of providing improved arts facilities within any new building.”
However, it is unclear how the demolition of a purpose built facility and the sale of the land it occupies will improve access to arts facilities in Darlington.
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