Councillors approve demolition of Cannock town centre building for regeneration
Another Cannock town centre building is set to be demolished after plans were approved by councillors.
The Cabot in Church Street is the latest structure set to be pulled down, following work to demolish the nearby Forum Shopping Centre.
But the neighbouring Prince of Wales Theatre is not part of the application to demolish The Cabot, a document presented to Wednesday’s Cannock Chase Council planning committee meeting said. A proposal to pull down the cultural venue came to light at the end of 2025, sparking fierce opposition from theatre supporters and community leaders alike, and the council’s Labour administration lost a motion to progress town centre regeneration work by just one vote at a heated meeting last month.
The theatre demolition proposal would require separate planning permission to proceed. It came forward just weeks after the planning committee gave the go-ahead for The Forum to be pulled down as part of the town centre regeneration project.
On Wednesday (February 4), planning committee members unanimously approved the demolition of The Cabot, which contains a number of former retail units and the town’s Halifax bank branch, which currently remains open. A report to the committee said: “The proposal, alongside the other town centre redevelopment work which has already commenced, will enable future redevelopment of this part of Cannock town centre.
“The current buildings contain vacant units, many of which have been vacant for an extended period of time. Removing the vacant retail structures will enable progression of plans to ensure the future vitality and growth of the town centre.”
Committee members were told on Wednesday The Cabot was set to be taken down “floor by floor”. Green timber hoardings would be used to screen the site and work could be stopped while services, such as weddings and funerals, were taking place at the nearby St Luke’s Church.
Work to demolish The Cabot is expected to start soon after the removal of The Forum and would take approximately six months. Councillors went on a site visit to view the structure before making their decision on Wednesday.
Councillor Val Jones said: “This is a well-planned demolition and there are no real concerns or objections. I think we should approve this application.”
