SP News
The Players’ Theatre at the Millgate Centre in Delph is leased from Oldham MBC and managed by Saddleworth Players, and part of the building is occupied by the Council for the Delph Branch Library. The five-level 19th Century building is an important feature of the Delph Village Conservation Area but because its design makes access very difficult in April 2001 Saddleworth Players launched its Access for All appeal to raise the £165,000 needed to improve disabled access to and within the theatre. The project includes the installation of a lift, disabled toilets, wheelchair spaces in the auditorium, emergency facilities and an external access ramp.
The appeal has raised £73,000 since its launch. Phase I of the project comprising the external ramp, disabled toilet and improvements to the foyer was completed in the summer of 2003 at a cost of £29,652. This together with a further £18,829 on work associated with the lift installation has brought total expenditure on the scheme to date to £48,481.
Work on the construction of the lift shaft was started in autumn 2004 but was suspended when unforeseen technical and legal problems were encountered. These have now been largely resolved, but the decision by Oldham Council to officially close the library at the end of March 2005 raised doubts about the long-term future of the building.
With a view to resolving these doubts and ensure that the building is preserved and developed as a community facility for Delph in particular and a cultural centre for Saddleworth as a whole, in April of this year the Society set up a Steering Group to examine how these objectives could best be achieved. All current users of the theatre together with other interested organisations such as Oldham Council (as owners of the Millgate Centre), the Parish Council, the Civic Trust and Delph Community Association have all appointed representatives.
The Group held its first meeting on 27 April under the independent chairmanship of former Oldham Chief Executive Colin Smith when a plan of action was agreed, and subsequent meetings have made considerable progress in putting this plan into effect.
Arising from the discussion at the first meeting it became clear that the library will only operate on a part-time basis in the foreseeable future, and this useful space could therefore also be made available for community uses. There is, however, currently no disabled access to this part of the building. The most expedient solution to the problem appeared to be to utilise the proposed lift to give disabled access to the library, and a preliminary investigation suggested that this would be feasible with relatively minor modification to the design of the installation. In view of this the Management Committee of the Society decided that it would be prudent to put the installation of the lift on hold temporarily pending the outcome of more detailed investigations.
On the positive side the lift has been ordered, a substantial deposit has been paid and the lift suppliers have indicated that they are happy to delay manufacture and installation until the position becomes clearer.
As the project has progressed economies have been found which could reduce the total cost to around £108,000 without compromising the overall effectiveness of the scheme, but this still leaves a shortfall of around £35,000 still needing to be raised and fund raising is ongoing.