The Stage

Theatres Trust campaigns to save Nelson Palace Hippodrome

Published Tuesday 4 August 2009 at 14:41 by Lalayn Baluch

Conservation body the Theatres Trust has applied to English Heritage for an emergency ‘spot’ listing for Lancashire’s Nelson Palace Hippodrome, in a bid to protect it from demolition.

The move follows plans being laid by Pendle Council to knock down the building and replace it with a car park.

The venue was opened in 1909 as a variety theatre, and in 1937 it was transformed into a cinema. It has been used as a bingo hall since the sixties.

Theatres Trust director Mhora Samuel hopes that obtaining a spot listing will secure the immediate future of the building.

She told The Stage: “We put in an application for a spot listing request to English Heritage, which means that as a matter of urgency they will look at the building to see if it is suitable for listing in terms of its architectural and historical significance.

“It is not listed at the moment, and its interior is, we think, worthy of consideration for listing. Externally it has had a lot of changes made to it, because of a road improvement programme.”

She explained that the trust had received 50 letters from individuals and organisations in support of the spot listing, and called on others to write to English Heritage and the council to prevent the demolition.

In its 2009 Theatre Buildings at Risk register, the Theatres Trust had classed the Nelson Palace Hippodrome as “medium risk”.

A spokesperson for English Heritage confirmed that an application for spot listing the venue had been received, and said it was being treated “as an urgent case”. She said that once the application was assessed it would be passed on to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for a final decision.

Pendle Council executive director of regeneration Brian Cookson explained that the venue had not been used as a theatre or cinema for more than 30 years.

He said that no theatre group had shown interest in using it, and as there were no resources to restore it, the authority planned to demolish it as soon as possible.

Cookson added: “The Palace Bingo Hall isn’t a listed building or in a conservation area and it’s been an eyesore for a number of years.

“Any external features of value were lost many years ago and the building has presented a drab negative image on a key gateway to the town. Its recent use as a bingo hall is no longer viable and there is no sustainable future use for the building.”

Those interested in supporting the campaign to save the Nelson Palace Hippodrome should write to applicationsnorth@english-heritage.org.uk