Curtain set to fall on former cinema
AN iconic cinema and bingo hall is set to be demolished after plans to give it a new lease of life failed to come to fruition.
Bacup’s Regal Cinema first opened on September 7 in 1931 with a total of 960 seats split between stalls and balcony. The circular Art Deco writing on the white facade once spelt out Regal but was later replaced by the word Bingo when it was transformed into a bingo hall in the late 1960s.
The building was last used in the early 2000s and has remained empty ever since. Urban explorers have given a fascinating insight into the once grand venue by sneaking inside the cinema.
In 2020 Rossendale Borough Council revealed the cinema was one of 22 buildings set to be renovated after a successful bid of more than £1m for funding from the government’s High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme. However, structural investigations later concluded the building was beyond repair, and plans have now been unveiled to demolish the cinema.
Peter Boys, of Waterfoot construction firm B&E Boys, has submitted a planning application to Rossendale Borough Council to replace the cinema with five modern commercial units. He argues the development will create employment in
the town and will be named Bacup Technology Hub.
B&E Boys was founded as a joinery business in 1961.
The company has grown through completing local work into a significant construction, property investment and house building company working nationally.
The firm’s application includes a report from structural engineer Michael Pooler who said there was little prospect of preserving any of the original architectural features and “there are no elements of construction
which could be economically saved”. Structural elements such as the steelwork and timber frame are significantly deteriorated with floors having collapsed and brickwork subsiding.
In a report to the council, Historic England said that “the loss of such an iconic building which has important aesthetic and communal value will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the conservation area”.
Inspector Daniel Jones added in his report: “The loss of the Regal will harm the significance of the conservation area. One of
two Art Deco buildings in Bacup, it is an iconic building.
“Its size, contrasting design compared to the prevalent townscape and the brilliant white glazed tile used in its front elevation give it aesthetic value.
“Having been a focal point socially throughout the majority of its existence, it will feature in the collective memory of many of the town’s inhabitants giving it important communal value.”
The former cinema is one of just two Art Deco buildings in Bacup. The other is the premises which once housed Bacup
Corporation
Showroom.
The application to demolish the building reveals that a number of viability exercises were undertaken to assess whether it could be preserved but “it was concluded its retention would not be viable as the conservation deficit was too large”.
The report adds: “The most viable option has been developed which involves the demolition of the former Regal Cinema to allow for a new build development with a commercial, industrial or technical use for the site
Electricity and the demolition of the existing Regal Cinema.
“This use of the site is a nod to the industrial history of the area when the town produced cotton and wool cloth.
“The proposal will aspire to reinvigorate the high street with independent manufacturers and creative workshops and create an interactive environment.
“The spaces would be let individually but together form a social multi-purpose space in which to collaborate in design, manufacture and sales of independent bespoke products.”