Demolition of Odeon cinema put to Newcastle Council
Jan 27 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal
THE controversy over the fate of a historic city centre cinema reignited yesterday with the prospect of demolition being presented to councillors tonight.
The 1931 Paramount American-style super cinema in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle – later to become the Odeon – was listed in 2000.
But the following year the cinema, described as the best of its type in Britain if not Europe, was delisted by Arts Minister Baroness Blackstone. The delisting of the building and its sumptuous interior, after an appeal by then owners Cinven, was described in The Journal by outraged critics as “a scandal”.
The Northumberland and Newcastle Society, the North East branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects and others compiled a dossier to support relisting, which was submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2003 with the campaign winning the backing of figures from MP Sir Alan Beith and Kate Adie to film maker Lord Puttnam.
Another English Heritage report was received by the DCMS in November 2005 – but four years and three months later a decision is still awaited.
But after 2003 it emerged the interior of the cinema was stripped and, tonight, a report will go to the city council’s Executive which says that current owners Brookfield are likely to propose demolition as part of plans for the East Pilgrim Street area. That sparked questions yesterday over:
Claims that the gutted interior meant the cinema was not now worth listing .
Why the interior was stripped when a decision was still pending on relisting
Why the DCMS had not responded to the 2003 dossier or made a decision on the 2005 inspector’s report.
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