EVESHAM'S outdoor theatre project almost came to a grinding halt this week after organisers feared they could lose the backing of the town council.

At a meeting at the Town Hall on Monday councillors reacted angrily to the news that the project had been forced to relocate to the Country Park on the outskirts of Evesham, following a delay in reaching an agreement to use the grounds of All-Saints Church.

Cllr Jo Sandalls, chairman of Wychavon District Council, said: "I am personally against funding it at the Country Park, it was to bring people in to Evesham not the Country Park."

Cllr Gerry O'Donnell, the council's representative on the Vale of Evesham Commerce and Tourism Association (VECTA), said: "I support Cllr Sandall's comments, I don't see it benefiting Evesham town centre and VECTA is disappointed."

After some deliberation councillors eventually decided to back the project, but made it clear sorting out a venue first should be a priority for the organisers and insisted lessons should be learnt for next time.

Cllr Andrew Dyke, who had been in support of the project from the start, said: "I genuinely believe this idea was brought to the council with the best intentions and I was disappointed to hear councillors say it shouldn't go on.

"This is something for the future, it will grow. To say no to it would be to the detriment of the town, and we should be supporting people like Cllr Martin Hammon who bring these ideas to us, not knocking them down."

2:23pm Tuesday 20th May 2008

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