Appeal over Bradford Odeon listing rejected
THE former Odeon cinema in Bradford has failed to secure listed building status for the seventh time it was confirmed today.
In March this year, an appeal was lodged to the Secretary of State when English Heritage rejected a sixth application for the 1930s building to be listed.
Today the Department for Media, Culture and Sport upheld the decision made by English Heritage that the former Bradford Odeon building is not of sufficient quality to warrant Listed status.
The review concluded that the building is too architecturally conservative for 1930 and has more in common with an Edwardian theatre than the late 1920s ground-breaking trends in cinema design and cannot claim to be of special architectural interest to meet the statutory listing criteria.
The site is currently subject to a planning application which would see the existing building demolished and replaced by a £55m mixed-use development called New Victoria Place.
Jan Anderson, executive director of environment comments:” We welcome the decision by the Department for Media, Culture and Sport that the former Bradford Odeon is not of listing status and look forward to progressing plans on the New Victoria Place Development”
Glyn Turner, from developer Langtree Artisan, said: “We are not surprised that the listing has yet again been refused. DCMS on advice from English Heritage has repeatedly confirmed that neither the interior, not external fabric of the building warrants listed status. As the developer we’re pleased to receive this confirmation and we look forward to progressing our innovative and exciting £55m scheme through the planning process.”
The report also confirmed that “the building is too altered and even if the later inserted ceilings, floors and stud walls were removed, the loss of historic fabric has seriously compromised the architectural interest of the building.”
Regarding the rarity of the building the report said better examples of such cinemas already survived and were already listed and the building did not represent any particular local or regional traditions.
The decision will disappoint campaigners who were fighting to maintain the building.
The consultation period for people to have their say on the planning application end today and Bradford Council is expected to determine the application next spring.
What do you think? Should the building have been preserved or should plans for the new development go ahead?
