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Dudley Hippodrome will make £2,000 profit every day say campaigners

Almost £2,000 a day in profit would be made if Dudley Hippodrome reopened to the public, according to a business plan submitted by campaigners.

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The Friends of Dudley Hippodrome group has re-submitted its proposal to takeover the 1930s theatre - after original plans were dismissed as unviable following an independent review.

They join entertainment company The ROK Group which has already handed over plans to reopen and run the Hippodrome.

Friends group members say a refurbished Hippodrome would boast 1,600 seats and their business plan states ticket prices would be 'kept to a minimum to ensure that whole families can enjoy what the Hippodrome has to offer'.

In the plan, volunteers say they would need to take over use of the building initially to rent out some of the rooms to generate funds.

The report added: "The Friends of Dudley Hippodrome would seek to negotiate a lease from Dudley MBC that would offer them sufficient tenure to attract funds for its refurbishment and sufficient time to bring this about."

They have identified five rooms including the first and second floor landings and basement that would be refurbished and let out.

The venue's previous operators Gala Bingo spent around £84,000 on running costs per year, according to figures obtained by the group.

The Friends group say they have assumed an increase of around 33 per cent on the operating costs for up-to-date figures.

They claim projected running costs would stand at £112,000 - but could be reduced by at least 80 per cent if the friends group are granted charitable status. Plans suggest the approximate cost of employing 10 members of staff on salaries of £20,000 a year would create staff costs of £200,000 annually.

But officials predict profits would come through taking a proportion of ticket sales and the sale of refreshments.

Takings would be £16,000 based on selling 800 seats, priced at £20, for a show and taking 20 per cent cut of tickets sales while the other 80 per cent goes to the show's production company.

Friends group members say they can make £35,000 a year selling refreshments and £88,200 a year in drinks.

Friends group chairman Gordon Downing said: "I'm pleased the plans are in as we have been working on them a while now. The ROK Group's scheme have already been in a while.

"We want the plans to be evaluated so the council can make a quick decision. We will then think how we are going to fight them if the council make the wrong decision."

Dudley's regeneration boss, Councillor Judy Foster, said the friends group have had around two and half years to submit 'realistic' plans.

She says the council has been awaiting the friends group's proposals because they did not want the 'issue to drag on further' as the building was deteriorating.

A date for a verdict on both business plans has yet to be revealed.

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