Trust fears for listed cinema (From The Argus)

Trust fears for listed cinema

8:00am Wednesday 24th January 2007 in

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Calls have been made for the owners of an historic cinema which has lain derelict for ten years to decide on its future.

The Astoria in Gloucester Place, Brighton, was once one of the largest and most celebrated cinemas in the country but plans to return the Grade II Listed building to its former glory have progressed at a snail's pace.

Now a cinema expert who was influential in getting the building listed is calling for a quick decision to be made on the future of the venue, which was bought by Yes/No Productions, the company behind theatre show Stomp.

Colin Dibley founded the Astoria Moving Picture Trust alongside fellow cinema expert Matthew May and the late Brighton architect Nimrod Ping.

The trio obtained permission to look around the building and found that enough of the original architecture was still intact to get it listed - protecting it from being demolished.

Mr Dibley said: "It is high time that an announcement was made. Last April Yes/No said they would make a decision within six months but still we have heard nothing.

"If Yes/No are struggling, they should ask for the help of the public. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would want to get involved with restoring the cinema in some form. The trust put a lot of our own time and money into stopping the Astoria being demolished and getting it listed. I now fear that all that hard work has gone to waste."

The trust had put in a bid for the building for just under £1 million but was outbid by Brighton-based company Packham Developments, which was forced to abandon its plans to demolish the Astoria.

The derelict building was finally snapped up by Yes/No Productions, based in Ship Street, for almost £1 million, but the company have yet to decide the Astoria's future.

Former buskers Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, who own Yes/No, previously said they hoped to transform the Astoria into a commercial venue for rock and pop concerts, cabaret, live comedy and cinema.

But it is thought the company needs at least £6 million.

No one from Yes/No was available for comment yesterday.