Board members of Tramore Area Community Theatre have expressed sadness as Waterford City & County Council hasn’t seized what the organisation describes as “a once in a lifetime opportunity to finally deliver a dedicated theatre for Tramore”.

The consequence, they said, is stark: “a theatre now, or no theatre for another generation at least. Our proposal for Tramore Train Station site was rejected by the council and landmark site in the town.”

T.A.C.T. claims the Council has “demonstrated no vision, no imagination, and most damaging of all, no ambition for the future of Tramore or its people.”

A statement from the group says: “The completed feasibility study by Denis Byrne architects to the tune of €50,000 to €70,000 of public money was completed almost 2 years ago. This study identified multiple council owned sites suitable for a theatre development, and noted that even beyond those listed, there are further sites around the town that could be made available immediately on a long term lease. The allotments show how long council controlled projects can take but a theatre could begin now if the Council chose to act. To date the study has not been published. Tramore Area Community Theatre is calling for the study to be released immediately for the citizens of Tramore. TACT are now calling for immediate engagement and a long term site lease.”

According to TACT, the only barriers to progress are “a lack of political will from local representatives and a lack of support from senior council officials.”

“That is the situation in a nutshell,” the group said. “If those two things change, Tramore will have a theatre. If they do not, it won’t and responsibility will lie squarely with the Council.”

TACT also notes that no senior council official has made contact regarding the project, despite the feasibility study and the former train station proposal “sitting on desks for a very long time.”

Despite the setbacks, TACT is announcing what it says is its clear intention: “There will be a theatre in Tramore and soon once the Council chooses to work with us rather than against us, as has been the case for the past decade. We are now calling on the Council to openly and positively engage with the organisation this week to: Identify the most suitable council-owned site. Offer TACT a long term lease. Work jointly to secure capital funding.”