COUNCIL officers have spoken out to dispel fears that a town could lose its theatre as part of a redevelopment.

Stockton Borough Council has submitted a planning application for the Billingham Gateway Scheme, under which Billingham Forum would be demolished to make way for a supermarket.

The scheme would also involve the development of leisure, health and education facilities, including a swimming pool, library and ice rink on the town's John Whitehead Park.

But the plans have met with fierce opposition because there is no mention of a new theatre. More than 10,000 people signed a petition set up by campaign group Save Our Theatre in an attempt to retain the Forum Theatre.

The group say the council is not listening to the wishes of local people and are now urging them to reject the application until a theatre is included.

Kevin Bowler, from the group, said: "There is enormous support to retain the theatre. It is one of the most successful in the country and enjoyed record attendances in December.

"It is a beautiful facility and would be a flagship for most councils, but not, it seems, Stockton, who seem hell bent on destroying a very popular and much loved facility.

"It is a shame it has to be left to such groups as Save Our Theatre to carry the flag of what people actually want when you would have thought that was the councillors' responsibility and, indeed, wish.

"We strongly urge the council to seriously consider the option of retaining the theatre in their planning application and until this option is fully reviewed, we urge the council to reject the current application."

However, Councillor Alex Cunningham, the council's cabinet member for education, leisure and culture, said the plans were not set in stone and the council would work with any future developer and the Save Our Theatre group to try to come up with a viable scheme.

He said: "We would be delighted to see a scheme developed that would save the theatre. However, what is important now is to get through the planning process and appoint a developer, after which the developer can work with the authority and the theatre group to see if a viable scheme can be developed to achieve that result."