Plymouth MP seeks to preserve heritage
PLYMOUTH Labour MP Luke Pollard is challenging the owners of some of the city’s worst eyesores to do up the buildings or sell them to someone who will.
The MP for Sutton and Devonport has drawn up a “buildings at risk” list of 10 locations he said have “been left to rot” and said they should be given new uses.
The list is topped, unsurprisingly, by the Grade II listed Palace Theatre on Union Street, and also includes the Cooperage, on the Barbican, and the former Pot Black snooker hall in Devonport.
Mr Pollard said: “Too many iconic buildings in our city are derelict and disused, having been left to rot by their owners. Plymouth is a proud city and we have a proud history and heritage. It’s time these buildings were given a new lease of life, a fresh purpose, and a brighter future.
“These buildings tell our city’s story. Many are a century old, surviving the Blitz and the wrecking ball of past regenerations. They’ve hosted everything from A-list concerts to sporting events to weddings but, without investment, they are at risk of being lost forever due to fire or other damage. My challenge to the owners of these properties is simple – invest in these buildings or sell them to someone who will.” Mr Pollard said will be updating his Buildings at Risk List on an annual basis, until Plymouth’s neglected historic buildings are brought back to life.
Hannah Sloggett and Wendy Hart, directors of Nudge Community Builders, a Plymouth co-operative which is redeveloping properties including the former Clipper pub and the Millennium nightspot on Union Street, said: “Empty buildings don’t just look bad – they have a real impact on how a community feels about where they live.
“We’ve seen the difference bringing a building back into use can have, and the opportunities it creates for local people. Working together to find ways that empty buildings can contribute to the city can only be a good thing.”
Here are the 10 buildings on Mr Pollard’s at risk list:
1 The Palace Theatre, Union Street – The Victorian-era property has played host to a music hall, a nightclub, a theatre, a bingo hall, and a dance academy, but the Grade II listed building has been empty for more than 15 years.
2 The Royal Fleet Club, Devonport – Originally opened in 1902 as maritime accommodation, it has been empty for many years since being bought by the Church of Scientology. In 2021, Mr Pollard successfully challenged the Church of
‘It’s time these buildings were given a new lease of life, a fresh purpose, and a brighter future’ LUKE POLLARD
Scientology to secure, clean and remove fly-tipping from outside the building.
3 The Reel Cinema, city centre – The Art Deco-fronted cinema was opened with a showing of Katherine Hepburn’s Stage Door in 1938, and famously hosted two concerts by The Beatles in the 1960s, but closed in 2019. In March 2022, it was announced that a new “performing arts” company called 1938 Ltd had been set up and the leaseholder, the Reel Cinemas chain, was looking at an “extensive refurbishment” that would see the main auditorium reopened as a 1,000-capacity live music venue.
4 The Pot Black Building/ Mechanics Institute, Devonport – Founded in the 1800s as a Mechanics Institute, the Grade II listed building was converted into a snooker hall in 1980 but has also served as a motor taxation office as well as a public library and museum. Recent plans to renovate it have come to nothing.
5 Pounds House, Central Park – The building dates from the 19th century, when it served as a luxurious villa. Mr Pollard is working with Cllr Jeremy Goslin to campaign for the property to be repurposed as Peverell’s library, along with a community centre and community café.
6 Raglan Gatehouse, Devonport – Another Grade II listed property, it is one of the last remaining elements of the once-vast military barracks that occupied the area. Although plans were drawn up for its renovation into flats, as recently as 2019, it remains empty.
7 Great Western Hotel, Union Street – Another historic yet disused property on Union Street, it is one of 15 large empty buildings on the street, totalling about a quarter of the land there.
8 The Cooperage, the Barbican – Originally built as a barrel-making facility in 1800, but more recently served as one of Plymouth’s premier live music venues, hosting an eclectic list of performers, including Muse and Buzzcocks.
9 The Royal Bank of Scotland Building (aka the NatWest Building), city centre – A prime example of Plymouth’s post-war reconstruction, the property was constructed in the 1950s after extensive bombing of the city during the Second World War. Sadly, the fine detailing of the building’s facade is falling into disrepair.
10 St Simon’s Church, Mount Gould – Constructed in 1905 and founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, it was built to host more than 700 church-goers, but the church and associated buildings now lie empty.