AN ATTEMPT to save a much-loved theatre from being sold off has been given a major boost.

An emergency application to list the Bradford Playhouse as a community asset, before it goes up for auction, has now been approved by the Bradford West Area Committee.

The Friends of the Bradford Playhouse had applied for the listing. The group hoped that listing it in this way will help Takeover Events Ltd, who run the Playhouse, to buy the building outright.

Committee member Councillor Shabir Hussain (Lab, Manningham) said afterwards that the committee had praised all those working to save the Playhouse.

He said: "It is something that we don't want to lose."

The team must now register an interest in buying up the building to trigger a six-month moratorium on its sale, which would allow bids to be properly prepared.