Dudley College urged to end Hippodrome misery
Dudley College has been urged to end ‘years of misery’ by taking over the town’s dilapidated Hippodrome.
Councillor Patrick Harley, the leader of Dudley Council, said the college was ‘an ideal fit’ for the landmark site, which has been taken back under the authority’s control after a campaign group failed to revive it.
The college is understood to be one of several interested parties to have discussed the derelict site with the authority, although no formal bid has yet been made.
At the end of last year Dudley College entered into ‘informal talks’ with the council over a scheme to knock down the building on Castle Hill and build a new campus there.
But Tory councillor Mr Harley said ‘no firm offers’ had yet been received from any party.
“We are going through the formal process of getting the land back, and as everyone knows, we are duty bound to do something with it,” he said.
“I would expect interested parties to come forward in the near future.
“We know that the future of the Hippodrome has been a major issue in Dudley. Since it closed there have been years of misery.
“Dudley College has been responsible for a lot of the developments in the town – you could say they started Dudley’s regeneration – and if anyone could make the best use of the site, it could be them.
“A lot of people would see them as an ideal fit. We have seen before that when they get a project in their head, it tends to get developed and built.”
Dudley Hippodrome operated as a theatre, cinema and a bingo hall before closing its doors in 2009.
It has been under almost constant threat of demolition since then.
In December 2016 it was taken over Black Country Hippodrome group, which was handed a five-year lease and pledged to reopen the venue as a theatre.
However, last week council bosses ruled that the lease was unworkable due to funding concerns, and agreed to take over the running of the site.
Dudley College declined to comment on the links.
The college has spearheaded the town centre’s regeneration with its multi-million pound learning quarter.
It is also behind plans for a new £30 million University Centre in the town.
