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D-Day for Brighton's Astoria

12:40pm Saturday 5th February 2011 in News By Naomi Loomes

It is D-day weekend for a historic Brighton landmark.

The 1930s Grade II* Listed Astoria cinema in Gloucester Place is the last survivor of its kind after other venues built by the same group were demolished.

Owner Mike Holland has applied to Brighton and Hove City Council requesting permission to knock down the Brighton Astoria and build a media hub in its place.

This weekend is the last chance for people to have their say on the plans before the consultation closes at midnight on Sunday.

Mr Holland and his agents Conran and Partners claim the building does not necessarily warrant Listed protection and is in such a state of disrepair it should not be saved on conservation grounds.

A spokesman for campaign group Astoria Moving Picture Trust said the building was part of Brighton and Hove's architectural history and deserved to be saved.

Have your say on the future of the Astoria.

Visit Brighton and Hove City Council's planning pages and use the code BH2010/ 03759 or write to Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Dept, Kate Brocklebank, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove BN3 3BQ

Comments(10)

chipmunk77 says...
12:57pm Sat 5 Feb 11

hmmm, unused, falling down... redevelop it into something useful, keeping the facade if possible I say!

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Granny says...
2:41pm Sat 5 Feb 11

I agree with chipmunk, but I don't think a proposed media hub would be considered something useful.

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140258 says...
5:14pm Sat 5 Feb 11

Definately keep the facade. As for a media hub... get some headliners mixed with local bands, i.e. like Concorde 2. Thats not a media hub, its a s*** hole, but it pulls in the punters cos it puts on good events.

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chipmunk77 says...
5:45pm Sat 5 Feb 11

140258 wrote:
Definately keep the facade. As for a media hub... get some headliners mixed with local bands, i.e. like Concorde 2. Thats not a media hub, its a s*** hole, but it pulls in the punters cos it puts on good events.
Just looked at plans online, looks like they are proposing something with a "similar" frontage in terms of the vertical windows.

Doesn't look bad, altho one floor higher than current building and has metal solar shades on front, better than the s**thole thats there now which I hear was put up in only 6 months in the 30's, and closed as a cinema in 1977 !!!!

I can't see how this got a listing, there are tons of similar buildings, and they are all cr*p!!!!

Not everybody wants to live in the past!

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bowwow says...
6:24pm Sat 5 Feb 11

The plans look great and I hope the development gets planning and gets built. I think it is the right thing to replace the decrepit old building with a considered and well designed scheme. The use sounds right for the location and will create jobs. I hope the anorak brigade reminiscing about a knackered empty old building which clearly can't be refurbed and brought back into use are not allowed to stop this exciting project from happening.

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iceman00 says...
8:57am Sun 6 Feb 11

How do we see the plans for it? Is there a website?

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Christophe Hawtree says...
10:30am Sun 6 Feb 11

The Steine is a depressing area. People avoid it, preferring to walk through the North Laine streets.

And is there anywhere more horrible than the lower end of Edward Street?

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TheInsider says...
11:08am Sun 6 Feb 11

Christopher are you talking about that horrible blue hostel type building at the bottom of Edward Street. It welcomes visitors to the city with lines of washing hanging on the balconies.
What a disaster that building is.

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bowwow says...
11:47am Sun 6 Feb 11

iceman00 wrote:
How do we see the plans for it? Is there a website?
http://www.brighton-
hove.gov.uk/index.cf
m?request=c1199915&a
ction=showDetail&app
lication_number=BH20
10/03759

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Tis I says...
3:42pm Sun 6 Feb 11

Oh for goodness sake! grade ll listing, has anybody recently stood and admired the wonderfull architecture? It's an eyesore now and lack of investment means it will be in the future. Who better than Mike Holland to breath new life into something that is really just a prime plot of Brighton land.

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