Work to get Dumbarton’s Denny Civic Theatre open once again has been approved by councillors.
The St Mary’s Way venue has yet to reopen after lockdown, after the contractor who ran the theatre retired and removed privately-owned audio/visual equipment vital for staging shows.
At a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council’s cultural committee last week, members agreed to progress plans for a £200,000 renovation of the venue.
A report presented to members indicated that the cost of installing professional audio/visual equipment at the Denny Civic would sit at around £175,000, with further funding going towards upgrading changing rooms, redecorating and improving public toilet facilities.
Cash of up to £100,000 would also enable surveys to be undertaken and designs developed with a view to enhancing accessibility and usage of the building for performances, functions and events.
Bailie Denis Agnew, chair of the cultural committee, said: “The people of West Dunbartonshire deserve the highest level of amenity.
“The Denny Civic theatre is somewhere I’ve felt very strongly about for a long, long time.”
Welcoming the move, Leven councillor John Millar questioned why the majority of West Dunbartonshire Council’s cultural capital fund was being spent in Clydebank.
The Labour member said: “Of the £2m spent so far, an awful lot of funding is being spent in Clydebank compared to Dumbarton and the Vale.
“Clydebank has 49 percent of the population, but 88 percent of the spend. What is the basis for the inequality on the spending within the area?”
In response council leader Jonathan McColl of the SNP highlighted that large investments in Dumbarton were coming from outwith the fund, as he called for an end to bickering between local towns.
Councillor McColl said: “We need to get away from the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven versus Clydebank rhetoric. It’s an issue within every SNP group that I’ve been involved in, I know it’s been an issue in Labour groups as well.
“We all have the same discussions.
“We are one local authority and it’s the job of councillors to make sure we have fit for purpose facilities across the whole of West Dunbartonshire.
“For that reason money is allocated on the basis of need and not geography.”
Bailie Agnew added: “There’s no intention regarding any inequality, previous committees and working groups recommendations have identified that.
“There’s a huge development happening at Glencairn House which will cost many millions.
“Glencairn House is being funded through other means rather than having to use the cultural capital fund in any big way, including the Levelling Up fund and funds from the Scottish Government.
“The cultural capital fund isn’t needed in any huge way for that.”
