Cliff-top Scarborough residents say theatre demolition could destroy their homes

Cliff-top home owners in Scarborough say their homes could fall down - if plans to demolish a theatre go ahead. Roger Pickford says his home - along with up to 100 others could be at risk, if the Futurist theatre is knocked down.

The Borough Council's plans for how to tackle demolishing it go on public display this week. It says it's aware the cliff above it could collapse, and that it's looking at spending around £4 million on preventative work.

In its heyday, the Futurist drew in thousands of visitors for its summer seasons. Roger Pickering lives directly above the theatre and is part of a campaign group against the plan.

''They were talking about the risks to the demolition, which included what they term a catastrophic cliff collapse, which would impact on all residents, and all businesses in and around the Futurist theatre.''

Scarborough Council says that it's set aside £4 million for work to stabilise the cliff, and that if any unforeseen costs came up it might have to reconsider the demolition. A few weeks ago the campaign group's bid for a judicial review failed.

Diana Tasker says it would cost less than £4 million to refurbish the 1920s buidling - which once played host to Ken Dodd and the Beatles.

''It just does not make economic sense. Why do something that people don't want - and spend a lot of money on it?''

The council argues that peoples' tastes have changed and summer entertainment that the Futurist used to host is no longer sustainable.