The Stage

High Court to decide Derby Hippodrome’s fate

Published Friday 4 April 2008 at 13:35 by Alistair Smith

Derby Hippodrome’s future will be decided in London’s High Court next week, after it was decided that a full hearing should take place on Thursday into whether the building’s owner is allowed to demolish the historic theatre.

Derby City Council are seeking an injunction to prevent owner Christopher Anthony from completely destroying the Grade II-listed venue, which has most recently been used as a bingo hall.

Stuart Leslie, the council’s chief legal officer, said: “At a hearing in the High Court this morning, the council sought an injunction against the owner of the Hippodrome to prevent him from carrying out any further unauthorised works. The judge ruled that a full hearing of the case should take place next Thursday in the High Court and the owner’s barrister gave an undertaking to the court that no works would take place in the interim.”

Anthony had claimed that, following extensive damage to the building last week while his contractors undertook “repairs” on the former theatre, the site was now unsafe and would have to be completely demolished.

The Theatres Trust and Derby City Council claim that the original “repair work” undertaken by the owner’s contractor - AB Demolition - was not authorised and was undertaken using unsuitable machinery.