Shanklin mayor Cllr Lynn Fleming, centre, with supporters of Shanklin Theatre, who are hoping the venue can be retained. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
SHANKLIN Town Council would come home to its roots under one radical idea to re-establish Shanklin Theatre into a town hall and civic centre.
Isle of Wight Council leader and Shanklin councillor, Cllr David Pugh, has suggested consolidating a number of activities into the landmark Shanklin Theatre building.
As well as a theatre, Cllr Pugh’s proposal would see the venue incorporate a tourist information centre (TIC), a town hall re-located from Falcon Cross Hall, and a help centre and local history centre.
Under the proposal, it would also house a town office as an alternative to the proposal to build an office on the land behind Falcon Cross Hall.
By selling off the existing TIC in the High Street and Falcon Cross Hall, which would be surplus to requirements, the money could be used for essential works on the theatre.
One variation to this idea is relocating the library into Falcon Cross Hall, with the capital receipt of the library reinvested in the theatre building. In this variation, the relocated library could also host the help centre.
Cllr Pugh, who accepted the idea was controversial, said: "Shanklin Town Council should welcome the opportunity to relocate itself to the historical base of the town’s civic activities.
"In many ways, it would represent the town council "coming home" to its roots — as the theatre building was home to many of the activities of both the Urban District Council and the borough council.
"It hosted both the mayor’s parlour and a council chamber. These facilities could be restored and it could once again become the town hall."
• An extraordinary meeting of Shanklin Town Council to discuss the future of Shanklin Theatre was due to be held last night (Thursday).
Reporter: martinn@iwcpmail.co.uk