THE Palace Theatre story is nostalgic, sad and worrying all at the same time.

Thousands of Huddersfield people have very happy memories of being entertained there over the years.

It’s now a mere shell of what it used to be and Examiner journalist Barry Gibson’s evocative first person piece of what it’s like inside must be hard to read for some who remember its glory days.

Its days as a public venue are over but the facade will be saved and there are proposals to convert it into student flats. There is a rival plan to demolish the Palace Theatre – except its facade – to make way for a £40m extension to the nearby Kingsgate shopping centre.

There have been controversial planning delays on this and now thieves have got inside and stripped out mains cables and taken the theatre’s historic chandaliers with the cost put at around £60,000.

The owner claims that if Kirklees Council had not dragged its feet over the plans it would have been on with the scheme and the thefts and damage would never have happened.

It’s time the plans surrounding one of Huddersfield’s most iconic buildings were sorted out ... and quickly.