Dumbarton Reporter | News | RELIEF AS DENNY THEATRE IS SAVED

Wednesday, 9th July, 2008

Published: Tuesday, 13th May, 2008 10:30

RELIEF AS DENNY THEATRE IS SAVED

By Mike Farrell

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Supporters of the Denny Civic Theatre celebrate

DENNY Civic Theatre is going nowhere — anti-closure campaigners have been assured.

Fears for the future of the theatre had been prompted by a masterplan for Dumbarton town centre that includes demolishing the building.

But theatre users were given assurances last week that if it is to be knocked down, a replacement will definitely be built first somewhere in the centre of Dumbarton.

Dumbarton People’s Theatre (DPT) group has been appealing against the possibility of losing the Denny.

Janette Barnes, a member of the DPT working group to save the theatre, attended Wednesday’s meeting of the Housing, Environment and Economic Development committee, where the masterplan was up for discussion.

She was expecting to have to fight tooth and nail for the theatre.

But a surprised Janette told the Reporter: “I couldn’t believe how well it went — I was getting ready for some quarrels, but that didn’t happen.

“I think all of us at DPT would just like to thank the council for giving us a chance to speak and for listening to and appreciating what we had to say."

Iain Robertson, leader of the council, also put his support behind the theatre.

He said: “The Denny Civic Theatre is a prime example of a good, well-used community asset that must not be lost to us, and I welcome the decision of the committee.”

The committee decided that the masterplan — including the recommendations for the Denny — should go before the next full WDC meeting in June, due to the wide-ranging implications it could have.

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