Nodrog and I assisted the Cinema Theatre Association in putting out a press release on this very subject the other week, either the council not serving repairs notices on crumbling buildings, or Historic Scotland allowing them to be partially or wholly demolished on the flimsiest excuses. This was picked up by a journalist contact we have at the Evening Times, and he ran a story about it in the Weekend Times on Saturday just gone.
Naturally, it relates to cinemas, but could equally well have been in relation to any listed or historically interesting building in the city...
The press release is here:
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/vie ... php?t=2718
The Weekend Times article is here, since they don't put weekend stuff online (I think!) - was interesting to hear Historic Scotland's response - the examples of well re-used cinemas they mentioned included two (Gong and ABC) whose original interior was hidden or gutted for re-use. And we weren't asking for them to be re-used as cinemas, just for owners to maintain the fabric of these places during disuse (or be forced to do so by local authorities), and for re-use plans to be something more imaginative than flats behind a retained facade...
ANGER AT 'NEGLECT' OF HISTORIC CITY CINEMAS
by Graeme Murray (
[email protected])
Group claims not enough was done to protect buildings
Historic Scotland has been condemned by a cinema preservation group which claims it has failed to prevent the wholesale demolition of ancient Glasgow cinemas.
The Cinema Theatre Association has compiled a catalogue which lists four B-listed Glasgow cinemas it claims the national body has neglected.
The Toledo in Clarkston, The Kingsway in Cathcart, The Ascot in Anniesland and the Olympia in Bridgeton have been singled out.
It demanded to know why the heritage organisation has not forced Glasgow City Council to serve repairs notices on cinemas which have been on the Scottish Civic Trust's Buildings at Risk register since 2000.
It says the buildings form an important part of Scotland's architectural and social history which attracts tourists to the city in droves.
Historic Scotland has also been criticised for retaining only the facade of cinemas when granting listed building consent, which the CTA claims has led to the loss of many fine auditoriums.
Richard Grey, chairman of Cinema Theatre Association said: "I am angry with Historic Scotland and its lack of interest in the preservation of historic cinemas and theatres.
"Its failure over the last few years to preserve a significant number of historic cinemas through reuse or sensitive development is evidence of perhaps the worst record of all the national bodies dedicated to the preservation of the historic environment.
"Many of these buildings have important historic and splendid design features which we would like preserved for the enjoyment and understanding of future generations."
The group said the Ascot Cinema, now flats called The Picturehouse, had an unspoilt auditorium which was lost and the facade is now dwarfed by the new development behind it.
It describes Historic Scotland's failure to respond to comment on a planning application for the Toledo Cinema as "a particularly appalling example of negligence."
And it says the Kingsway Cinema "has been left rotting and derelict for over 16 years" prompting developers to try to get it entirely demolished on public safety grounds.
However, Historic Scotland insisted that if it was not convinced by an argument for internal demolition or any other proposal, it would say so.
A spokesman cited the Carling Academy on the south side, Gong in the west end, the Waverley in Shawlands and the ABC in Sauchiehall St as good examples of re-uses.
He said: "We have made considerable efforts to assist local authorities in re-using this valuable part of our national heritage and there have been many successful conversions and re-uses.
"However, neither Historic Scotland nor the local authorities charged with making planning and listed building consent decisions about cinema buildings can require operators to continue showing films commercially.
"The Ascot and the Toledo have both lost their interiors and some of their external fabric but in these cases no viable auditorium use could be found."
Architectural consultant Neil Baxter said: "There are very strong sentimental attachments to cinemas, but we have to accept there are a number of buildings which have changed beyond all recognition.
"I'm passionate about buildings and in an ideal world I would love to keep them all, but there are not the resources to do that.
"The CTA is to an extent stargazing. It wants to protect things nobody has the money to keep."