Andy Burnham has said he will not accept the loss of the Oldham Coliseum without at least another theatre taking its place in the town.

Joe McGrath filled in for Mike Sweeney on the weekly hotseat radio show, where listeners put questions to the Greater Manchester mayor.

An anonymous texter asked the mayor about the closure of Oldham Coliseum – and whether the mayor could help.

Mr Burnham responded: “As in any issue that happens in the city-region, I will always help if I can. I think the situation here is a really challenging one, because of the decision of the Arts Council which obviously was quite devastating.

“The funding that had been provided was stopped and I just think that in that situation any theatre would struggle.

“I think it’s compounded by the fact as I understand it that there is substantial building work that would be needed on the Coliseum – I think there’s asbestos and other issues there.

“There’s a sort of major structural problem as well.

“We stand ready to help – as Greater Manchester we have funded cultural activity and theatre in Oldham and we will continue to do that.

“We’ve got to keep a theatre in Oldham, that’s for certain.

“Whether it’s the Coliseum or a new one that’s to be decided by the community and Oldham Council. What we will do, though, is stand behind them in terms of whatever decision they make.

“What I won’t, and wouldn’t ever accept, is loss of a theatre like this and nothing in its place. I think there are plans for a new theatre, if that’s where people are going to go.

“There comes a point sometimes where you’ve got to accept the building of a modern facility just for a whole range of financial reasons, a bit like with my own football club – the idea of leaving Goodison Park is a hard one, but sometimes you have to say ‘well, we have to face the future’.

“I think Oldham Coliseum is a tiny bit like that – can the theatre be turned around in its current location and its current condition, or sometimes do you have to accept something new is needed?

“It’s got to be one or the other, it can be both but it can’t be neither, you just let it go dark and that’s it.

“We have to have a theatre in Oldham, and from my point of view I will work with the leader of the council to go with what they think is the most achievable solution, either it’s saving the Coliseum or building a new theatre.

“I will back whichever they believe is the right one and we’ll make sure we look after Oldham in that way.”

The full episode of Andy Burnham in the hotseat can be listened to on BBC Sounds. Other topics discussed this week include public transport and Manchester United’s ownership.