Home   News   Article

Subscribe Now

Show will go on for town theatre




Victory after nail-biting campaign

HUNGERFORD’S popular theatre company is celebrating a stunning success after a nail-biting campaign to secure its future.

For months, a storage crisis had threatened to bring the final curtain down on the Community of Hungerford Theatre Company (CHTC).

The company sought permission to site four storage units in a corner of the Triangle Field after its last home became unavailable.

A planning officer’s report recommended refusal and an unnamed local resident lodged a formal objection.

Then, on Wednesday last week, impassioned pleas from civic leaders swayed a crunch meeting of West Berkshire Council western area planning committee.

However, CHTC is still not in the clear and has sent out a plea for help with a base to build sets.

Those who successfully pleaded the group’s cause at the meeting were town mayor Martin Crane, his former deputy Roger Thompson, district councillors James Podger and Paul Hewer (both Con, Hungerford) and town councillor David Small.

Mr Crane said the group was “an essential feature of Hungerford culture” while Mr Podger said the company enjoyed “enormous support” from its 200 members, the town council, the Town and Manor of Hungerford and the public.

Senior planning officer Derek Carnegie warned: “There’s no getting away from the fact these units will be used for storage and could in future be used for, say, Sainsbury’s baked beans.”

But Jeff Beck (Con, Clay Hill), said: “The field is set aside for recreational and educational purposes – let common sense prevail.”

After Mr Carnegie said permission could be limited to five years, with a stipulation that storage be confined to theatre props, the committee voted unanimously in favour granting the application.

Afterwards, a jubilant theatre company chairman, David Clayton, thanked all those who spoke in the application’s favour.

But he warned that, as discussions begin about next year’s CHTC Town Show, there were still hurdles to be overcome.

He said: “Before we start on next year’s Town Show, we need a reasonably-sized area in which to do our building and painting.”

Mr Thompson said CHTC would seek to persuade the town council to allow a corner of a building in the Croft field to be used for building sets.

He added: “There’s some resistance to that suggestion but we put a stake in the ground years ago, asking to be put at the top of the list of groups seeking use of that space.”

Meanwhile, he said, the company would appeal to the Hungerford community.

Mr Thompson said: “If there’s anyone in the area who has some space in, say, a warehouse or a barn, where we could build and paint sets, we’d love to hear from them.”

* CAN you help? If so, please email Mr Thompson at rogerLthompson@hotmail.co.uk



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More