LYME'S Marine Theatre looks set to be taken over on February 1, although the town council is stipulating that it must be registered as a charitable trust.

The council, at a special meeting on Wednesday, was anxious not to hold up the theatre's transfer into a trusteeship, and it sanctioned the terms of agreement to govern future revenue support.

It was unanimously agreed that the premises should be used for theatre productions, educational purposes, exhibitions, conferences and other similar associated activities.

The council also backed a number of stated aims, including the employment of staff on a paid and voluntary basis to provide public access to the arts, to make the theatre culturally and financially stable and to maintain its fabric and capital assets for the provision of the arts.

The council will pay the Marine Theatre Trust £43,350 in the next financial year, £40,000 the following year and £35,000 the year after.

Coun Spencer Hogg called on the council to ban any new building at the theatre within the next three years without public consultation.

But Coun Ken Meech disagreed. "It is not right to start the trusteeship by holding the trustees down," he said.

Town clerk Michael Lewis assured the council: "Building concerns can be addressed through the planning process. And we could add a covenant restricting development, although that will delay things."

Coun Owen Lovell said he understood the concerns of Coun Hogg who was anxious that the theatre should always be used for the arts, but he added: "We must not leave the trustees hamstrung and cause further delay."

Coun Lorna Jenkin said the trustees were also proposing some non-arts activities. If the council insisted that the building remained a theatre at all times, it would cause problems in the future.