News: Work to prepare old Rotherham cinema building for regeneration
Rotherham Council has appointed a contractor to secure an art deco former cinema in the town centre until a new use can be found.
Vandals have already caused "significant damage" to the fabric of the empty Grade II Listed building.
The authority was granted planning permission earlier this year to repaint the exterior of 2 Corporation Street "to more sympathetic and historically appropriate colours, in order to preserve and enhance its architectural integrity, while maintaining its significance."
Now attention has turned to the inside of the former Regal Cinema and Mecca Bingo that was acquired in 2022.
A council tender for the internal clearance, external roofing, and refurbishment, includes remedial works - a secondary strip following initial clearance, and asbestos and vegetation removal.
Parapet and gutter works are set to be carried out followed by the boarding of the building on completion of works.
The council's plans also included using a vinyl treatment on the metal shutters of the existing windows and doors to create the illusion of the original windows and entrances. Where original cinematic posters would have been displayed interchangeable advertising will again be displayed.
The contract, worth £451,694, has been awarded to Blackpool-based F Parkinson Ltd and is due to complete by the end of September 2025.
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The future for the building is not yet clear. Planning documents state that: "The owner of the premises Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) have confirmed that they intend to mothball and secure the building until a viable scheme for its re-use can be found."
In a council report, Kevin Fisher, Assistant Director Property and Facilities Services at Rotherham Council said: "Enabling works are required within the building to ensure that the building remains safe, secure and compliant whilst a review of future use is undertaken."
Planning documents also add that: "The building is vulnerable to vandalism and break-ins due to its vacant state. Significant damage has already occurred to the building fabric from vandalism, and this is only likely to continue unless the building is fully secured."
At the end of 2021, Rothbiz revealed that a campaign to save the building had been successful with the site now protected by Grade II listed building status. This meant that earlier proposals from Sunshine Homes Ltd to erect a new residential building consisting of 45 dwellings and three ground floor commercial units was withdrawn. The plans would have involved knocking down the building as converting the existing property was found to be not a viable proposal.
The property has since been added to the council's own heritage at risk register.
Rothbiz has previously reported on Rotherham Council using regeneration funding to carry out market testing and an options appraisal for the provision of a performing arts venue in Rotherham town centre as the current Civic Theatre building has challenges in terms of capacity, opportunity for growth and its general condition. A Feasibility Study was undertaken in 2022 to determine a suitable location for a new venue and a site was subsequently acquired by the Council.
Images: Google Maps
Vandals have already caused "significant damage" to the fabric of the empty Grade II Listed building.
The authority was granted planning permission earlier this year to repaint the exterior of 2 Corporation Street "to more sympathetic and historically appropriate colours, in order to preserve and enhance its architectural integrity, while maintaining its significance."
Now attention has turned to the inside of the former Regal Cinema and Mecca Bingo that was acquired in 2022.
A council tender for the internal clearance, external roofing, and refurbishment, includes remedial works - a secondary strip following initial clearance, and asbestos and vegetation removal.
Parapet and gutter works are set to be carried out followed by the boarding of the building on completion of works.
The council's plans also included using a vinyl treatment on the metal shutters of the existing windows and doors to create the illusion of the original windows and entrances. Where original cinematic posters would have been displayed interchangeable advertising will again be displayed.
The contract, worth £451,694, has been awarded to Blackpool-based F Parkinson Ltd and is due to complete by the end of September 2025.
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The future for the building is not yet clear. Planning documents state that: "The owner of the premises Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) have confirmed that they intend to mothball and secure the building until a viable scheme for its re-use can be found."
In a council report, Kevin Fisher, Assistant Director Property and Facilities Services at Rotherham Council said: "Enabling works are required within the building to ensure that the building remains safe, secure and compliant whilst a review of future use is undertaken."
Planning documents also add that: "The building is vulnerable to vandalism and break-ins due to its vacant state. Significant damage has already occurred to the building fabric from vandalism, and this is only likely to continue unless the building is fully secured."
At the end of 2021, Rothbiz revealed that a campaign to save the building had been successful with the site now protected by Grade II listed building status. This meant that earlier proposals from Sunshine Homes Ltd to erect a new residential building consisting of 45 dwellings and three ground floor commercial units was withdrawn. The plans would have involved knocking down the building as converting the existing property was found to be not a viable proposal.
The property has since been added to the council's own heritage at risk register.
Rothbiz has previously reported on Rotherham Council using regeneration funding to carry out market testing and an options appraisal for the provision of a performing arts venue in Rotherham town centre as the current Civic Theatre building has challenges in terms of capacity, opportunity for growth and its general condition. A Feasibility Study was undertaken in 2022 to determine a suitable location for a new venue and a site was subsequently acquired by the Council.
Images: Google Maps
2 comments:
If this could be reopened as a music/comedy venue it could almost single-handedly regenerate the night time economy in Rotherham.
Perfectly situated next to bus and railway stations, and Forge Island. It's crying out for redevelopment.
Have I read this article correctly? Council spends half a million pounds to keep an empty building empty? I agree that the site could do with some sprucing up, but surely the best way to protect the building is to bring it back into use.
And, on a side note, how does giving the contract to a Blackpool company fit with the Council's buy local policy? Don't we have any local builders any more?
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