'Name and shame' bid to save Odeon in Bradford (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

'Name and shame' bid to save Odeon in Bradford

7:00am Tuesday 19th June 2012 in News By Jo Winrow , City Hall Reporter

Campaigners fighting to save Bradford’s former Odeon from demolition have vowed to name and shame potential tenants of the new site.

They have also pledged to boycott any business which signs up to the £40 million New Victoria Place scheme and are encouraging people to support their cause by signing a petition.

But John Downes, managing director of developer, the Langtree Group, said the campaign would not weaken its commitment to provide offices, a hotel and apartments on the key site.

He said: “We are aware of opposition to development plans at New Victoria Place. However, along with our partners at the HCA and Bradford City Council, Langtree remains committed to delivering this project.”

A spokesman for the campaigners accused any business which signs up as a tenant of New Victoria Place as being “complicit in the Odeon's unnecessary demolition”.

He said: “If new businesses want to come to Bradford, that is clearly welcome. However, there is plenty of empty office and apartment space in the city which is available right now, without demolishing a beloved 1930s supercinema in the centre of the City of Film.

“The only way Langtree can go ahead with demolition is by signing up tenants for New Victoria Place within the set timescale. If they don't, the building comes back to the Council and therefore the people of Bradford.

It comes as the Telegraph & Argus exclusively revealed last week that a vital legal agreement over the planning permission for developer Langtree’s New Victoria Place scheme is due to be completed this week.

The signing of the Section 106 agreement then gives Langtree eight months to show the scheme is viable.

It is only at this point that the company would be able to demolish the Odeon building and must begin construction work straightaway. The scheme is expected to take 15 months to complete.

Consortium Langtree Artisan won a design competition to redevelop the site, although Artisan H has since gone into receivership, leaving Langtree to take over the joint venture.

A poster campaign has gathered pace, with some city centre businesses displaying “Odeon. Save It” banners.