CREST Nicholson director Paul Calcutt has defended his company's East Street redevelopment scheme in the national press, describing it as "a great development" which "hits every sustainable development button that you can imagine". The article in The Independent, which focused on the fight to save the Redgrave Theatre from demolition, quoted Mr Calcutt as saying: "I have people ripping this scheme to shreds and wrecking a whole load of social goods." However, Corin Redgrave was reported as describing plans to demolish the theatre named after his father, Sir Michael, as "shameless". Also having her say was Farnham resident Abigail McKern, an actress in Rumpole of the Bailey, whose late father Leo McKern (Rumpole himself) is a tremendous Redgrave supporter. "It's the people of Farnham against the absolutely enormous developers. I don't feel like I'm living in a democratic country," she declared. And among other actors quoted was James Bolam, who viewed it as "a wicked waste to leave it empty... Once it goes dark it's quite easy for developers to go sniffing around". The Independent reported how the New Farnham Repertory Actors' Company performances in a marqueee outside the theatre had been a sell-out. Mr Calcutt, however, remained unmoved, pointing out that the Redgrave was not included in the development brief. "You can't stem regeneration for a bunch of people who want to save their theatre. If someone came to me with the dough, then I would consider providing a theatre in the scheme."
