THE CURTAIN rises on a £1.7 million new theatre plan for Burnley this week when councillors act out their role in the project.

The proposed 200-seater Youth Theatre bid takes centre stage at Burnley planning committee tomorrow when members consider a request for full planning permission to build on the Quarry Theatre site off Queens Park Road.

And planning officers for their part are urging councillors to give the go-ahead, despite some concern over possible loss of wildlife habitat in the area.

The theatre, which will double as an arts centre, will look like an upturned funnel leading to a tall chimney in the centre, according to the theatre's artistic director Anthony Preston. In their report, officers say the building is larger than those it will replace and its height will make it more noticeable.

But they add the structure would be well-screened and as much as possible had been done to reduce the impact.

If the Youth Theatre steal this scene by getting the council go-ahead, members will move on to their biggest performance - persuading national arts bosses to give them a Lottery grant amounting to 75 per cent of the total cost of the project.

That will be the deciding factor on whether the new theatre goes ahead.

The youth theatre, which aims to raise around £50,000 on its own, hopes also to benefit from other grants and business donations.

Part of the plan is to demolish the present building and replace it with a 38-space car park, with provision for extending this in future if necessary.

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