MUCH as I admire the ambition and passion of the theatre group hoping to buy Mr Smith's to return it to its former glories - I can't see anything other than a negative result.

Let me make it clear now that I would like nothing more than their venture to be a huge successbut can it really result in anything other than a bidding war?

The sad reality is that a theatre group relying on benefactors to fund a purchase has nothing like the clout of a developer.

All this campaign will do is result in the owners of the site getting more money than they might have expected.

The situation is this: the owners of Mr Smith's will probably - and quite rightly - only sell to the highest bidder.

A developer, in the current climate, is cash rich. They have considerable financial muscle and can adjust their plans to make sure they recoup their investment.

If the group manages to raise, let's say, £2 millionthe developer would no doubt offer £2.1m - without even batting an eyelid.

Even if the group is successful, it will immediately be, say, £2m in the redthen it has to fund the renovations of the site.

Then figure into this that it is no secret that the town's highest-profile venue for theatre and show, Parr Hall, is running at a loss of around £500,000 a year.

If there were such a demand for a theatre in Warrington, it would surely be breaking even at the very least.

All this does not bode well for a new theatre that is already £2.5 million overdrawn before it has even opened its doorsthen there are marketing costs, staff costs, insurances Then you figure in the competition; the heavyweights: Manchester, Liverpool and Chester. All three cities are within half an hour's drive from Warrington and all boast fantastic theatres.

But I wish the campaign well, I really do - and judging by the messages left on our website warringtonguardian.

co.uk, so do a good few other people.

I dearly hope that I am proved wrong and am forced to eat my words.

jsawyer@guardiangrp.co.uk