Former art deco cinema goes up for sale in Cheltenham
A striking art deco former cinema building in Cheltenham has been brought to the market for redevelopment.
The Daffodil Cinema was designed by Leonard William Barnard, a prolific local architect. Built in Edwardian Free Style, with some Baroque Revival elements, the 750 seat cinema – then known as Daffodil Picture House – opened on 5 October 1922.
It closed as a cinema in 1963 and was converted into a bingo club and then an antique and furniture showroom, before being refurbished into a restaurant in 1998. Following a challenging five-year period, the restaurant permanently closed in 2023.
Situated in Montpellier, a prime central district of Cheltenham, the 7,177 sq. ft (667 sq. m) building sits within a 0.136 acre site, and is being offered to the market on an ‘unconditional’ or ‘subject to planning’ basis.
The property includes two addresses; 18-20 and 21 Suffolk Parade, extending to 6,135 sq. ft (570 sq. m) and 1,042 sq. ft (97 sq. m) respectively. 18-20 has planning permission for any Class E (commercial, business and service) use, granted in January 2024, while 21 Suffolk Parade has permission for conversion to a single residential dwelling, granted in October 2023.
Jemima Upton, a senior surveyor in Savills South Central Development team, commented: “The Daffodil is an attractive and prominent building, with a number of character features indicative of the art deco era. Its sale represents a rare opportunity to give a renowned building a new lease of life, through sensitive conversion and/or redevelopment.
“Given its location, close to the town centre in the affluent and highly sought-after Montpelier, we believe the property could be particularly well-suited to a residential conversion.”
Savills is seeking unconditional or subject to planning offers by midday on Wednesday 5 June 2024.
