Hundreds join campaign to save Dudley Hippodrome

The curtain appeared to fall on a campaign group’s dream to revive Dudley Hippodrome as a theatre last month.

Cabinet members unanimously approved recommendations in February to instruct the authority’s legal team to start procedures “leading to forfeiture of the lease”.

A further report will go before the cabinet at a meeting later in the year setting out proposals for the future use of the building and site.

The move could open the door for Dudley College which has said it would be interested knocking down the Hippodrome and regenerating the site to create a new site for students.

Dudley Council said campaigners had failed to demonstrate they could raise enough money to make the rescue of the landmark viable.

But members of the Dudley Hippodrome Community Group managed to raise a total of 785 signatures in the space of five and a half hours after setting up shop at Dudley Market.

It comes as part of the groups wider campaign which has seen an online petition launched in a bid to be able to approach the council with further backing.

Dudley Hippodrome Community Group spokesperson Paul Winchurch said: "In the space between 10am and 3.30pm we have got 785 signatures and that is just on the first day.

"We are very proud of this. The idea is to go to different towns and we are going to look at Halesowen and Stourbridge.

"We just want to spread the word and the truth of what is happening."

Campaigners have called for the venue to be turned into a multi-purpose site – with hopes it could see theatre and sporting events.