Since February 2025, we’ve been fighting to save the Prince of Wales Theatre from permanent closure. More than 20,000 people signed a petition. Over £27,000 has been raised. Many of you have questioned councillors, attended meetings, and refused to let this decision go unchallenged.
This archive contains every major document from the campaign – our Community Asset Transfer bid, the council’s evaluation, our detailed response, and the supporting evidence. Nothing’s been edited (except for sensitive information that we do not own and have not been given permission to share). Nothing’s been left out. This is the complete record from our side.
Why we’re publishing everything
Transparency matters. If we’re asking people to support this campaign – with their time, their money, or simply their belief that it’s worth doing – they’re entitled to see the evidence and make up their own minds.
Some of these documents make us look good. Some expose where we could have done better. That’s fine. We’d rather have honest scrutiny than polite silence.
What you’ll find here
Our Community Asset Transfer Bid (16 June 2025)
The full submission to SLC, the chosen consultancy firm of Cannock Chase District Council, including:
- 10-year financial model
- Method statements covering vision, partnerships, operations, and governance
This is what we believed would create a sustainable, zero-subsidy theatre for Cannock. A full breakdown of the method statement framework and assessment rubric can be found in the evaluation report published by SLC, available in the next section below.
These documents were sent to all councillors by CCTT on 28th August 2025, ahead of the Cabinet meeting on 4th September 2025. The 10Y Financial Forecast was published publicly as part of the Cabinet papers (page 138-140) on 27th August 2025, which can be downloaded from here.
Independent Evaluation Report (07 July 2025)
Independent assessment completed by Rebecca Morland on behalf of Cannock Chase Theatre Trust, scoring our bid 79%.
This document provides insight from an experienced theatre executive operator on the strengths of our proposal, along with areas for us to focus on for improvements.
This document was shared with council officers and the leader of the council on 11th August 2025. It was published publicly as part of the 4th September Cabinet papers (page 69-77) on 27th August 2025, which can be downloaded from here. Rebecca Morland’s professional bio and experience can be found on her website here.
The Council’s Evaluation Report (30 July 2025)
The Sport, Leisure and Culture (SLC) Consultancy’s assessment on behalf of the council. They scored our bid 21.2% against a required 59% pass mark.
This document explains why they rejected the proposal.
This document was shared with CCTT, councillors and published publicly by Cannock Chase District Council on 8th August 2025 via a news announcement on their website here. It also formed part of the 4th September Cabinet papers (page 20-68) which can be downloaded from here. During the Responsible Council Scrutiny Committee meeting on 8th September 2025, it was confirmed v1 of this report was sent to officers of the council on 30th June 2025, but has never been published publicly or shared with CCTT.
Our Response to the Council Evaluation (21 August 2025)
Our point-by-point rebuttal of the council’s evaluation, including:
- Where we believe the assessment was factually incorrect
- Evidence that was overlooked or misrepresented
- Analysis of the evaluation process
This document was shared with council officers, the leader and deputy leader of the council and portfolio holder on 21st August 2025. It was sent to all councillors by CCTT, in agreement with council officers, on 28th August 2025, ahead of the Cabinet meeting on 4th September 2025. It has not been shared publicly until now and did not form part of the Cabinet papers.
Our Latest Full Business Plan (August 2025)
A more extensive document than what was allowed to be submitted via the evaluation method statements to SLC on 16th June 2025.
This document has always been considered to be a ‘living document’ throughout our journey in developing our proposals and embarking on the campaign to save the theatre. It is constantly revised and improved as we develop our plans, discuss opportunities with stakeholders and learn what is and isn’t possible. The document covers our full operational strategy and has been reviewed by many stakeholders during its creation.
This document was shared with council officers, the leader and deputy leader of the council and portfolio holder on 21st August 2025. It was published publicly as part of the 4th September Cabinet papers (page 78-215) on 27th August 2025, which can be downloaded from here.
Meeting Recordings
We only realised recently that recording public council meetings was allowed. By that point, most of the public meetings relating to our campaign had already happened.
What we do have are recordings from two crucial council meetings:
- Cabinet Decision Meeting – where councillors voted on the CAT evaluation.
- Responsible Council Scrutiny Committee Meeting – where the decision was reviewed.
Fair warning: the audio quality isn’t brilliant. We gathered what recording equipment we could at short notice, and these are council chambers, not recording studios. But you can hear what was said, which is what matters.
Cabinet Meeting – 4th September 2025
Responsible Council Scrutiny Committee – 8th September 2025
Supporting Documents
All of the key documents for our campaign are provided above. Other supporting documents will be published under this section, as they are collated by our team – check back regularly for extra supporting documentation.
Open Letter to All CCDC Councillors (26 September 2025)
Following Cabinet’s decision to include the Prince of Wales Theatre within the regeneration programme’s demolition red line, the Trust wrote to all 35 district councillors setting out our concerns about the decision and the process that preceded it.
We asked each councillor to consider whether they believe the process leading up to the demolition proposal was conducted fairly, and whether the demolition of Cannock’s only remaining theatre truly serves the community’s interests.
In keeping with our commitment to transparency, the full letter is published below.
This email was sent to all councillors by CCTT on 26th September 2025, ahead of the Cabinet meeting on 4th December 2025.
What happens next
We’re holding a public meeting on Sunday 12th October at 11am (The Aquarius, Hednesford) to walk through these documents and answer questions.
If you would like to joins us at this meeting, please complete the simple RSVP form.
Last Updated: 4th October 2025