Transfer of the Odeon and Tyrls depends on agreement for money from HCA to make them safe

7:00am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Bradford Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Dolores Cowburn, Bradford Chief Reporter

The former Odeon cinema in Bradford The former Odeon cinema in Bradford

Two prime city centre sites, the former Odeon cinema and the old Tyrls police station, could be transferred to Bradford Council’s ownership for the grand total of £2, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal today.

But the deal is dependent on the Homes and Communities Agency, which owns both sites, agreeing to contribute a total of £4.1 million to tackle essential health and safety or maintenance issues.

The latest move comes after HCA offered to sell the former Odeon to the Council for £1 plus £100,000 of maintenance cash late last year when plans to redevelop the site fell through.

A structural survey commissioned by the Council has now concluded that the overall condition of the building, which has stood empty since 2000, is “reasonable and sound” though the survey does highlight areas of concern including the roof structures of the domes which need major repairs and the external facade.

And if members of the Council’s Executive back the latest proposal drawn up by the strategic director of regeneration and culture, Barra Mac Ruairi, when they meet on March 12, potential buyers will be invited to register their interests in the site later this year.

But the report also warns that if development on the Odeon building does not start by July 2014, alternative propositions for the site will have to be looked at, including demolition.

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It states: “Agreeing to the transfer will demonstrate the Council’s continued commitment to progress the regeneration of the city by enabling the Council to control and manage future development proposals.

“Approving the transfer will secure funding of £4.1m from the HCA which has made it clear that these funds are unlikely to be available in future years.”

Council leader, David Green, said: “We will try to find a commercially viable option for the Odeon building and would encourage anyone with ideas to come forward with a business plan.

“We want to accept transfer of the Odeon and the Tyrls from the HCA and after a due diligence process have asked for funding amounting to £4.1m to address essential health and safety works to stabilise the building for a limited period and enable work on the Tyrls to progress.”

The HCA took ownership of the Odeon building in 2011 and has spent £1.3m to remove asbestos and deal with urgent repairs. But the Council’s structural survey has shown that more work needs to be done including the dome structure repairs, and removal of material affected by dry rot.

Roof and masonry repairs are also needed.

The HCA terminated the development agreement with Langtree Artisan in September last year after it failed to comply with its terms and sign a Section 106 agreement which could have included contributions to improve the local community and could include affordable housing.

Langtree had wanted to demolish the 1930s building and build a £40m development of offices, a hotel and apartments which it called New Victoria Place.

Once that agreement was terminated, HCA had said that it wanted to work with the Council and the local community to find a solution.

Naz Parker, head of Leeds City Region for the HCA, said: “Following our termination of the development agreement for the former Odeon, we offered the building to Bradford Council for a nominal fee plus holding costs to give them control of a major site in the city centre.

“That remains the current offer available to the Council. However, the Council has since carried out due diligence investigations into the former Odeon, as well as the former police station, our other major site in the centre, and believes it needs £1.3m and £2.8m respectively to help prepare these two sites for potential development.

“The Council has asked us to consider the £4.1m investment as part of the transfer of both sites, which we are currently doing.”

The HCA’s executive has indicated its support for the transfer but it needs the final approval by its investment board which meets on March 14.

Back in 2004, the poor condition of the Odeon building was highlighted in a report by engineering consultants Ove Arup & Partners which stated that it would be costly to renovate.

Ove Arup even then said that retaining the distinctive domes as part of any new development would cost £3.6m and replacing them with replica domes using new materials would cost between £2.5m and £3.5m.

What the new structural survey says...

The Odeon timeline

£4.4m set aside for old police station

Comments(30)

hammo10 says...
7:27am Tue 5 Mar 13

bargain. i wonder if the council would sell me the flappits for £2 so they can afford it.

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angry bradfordian says...
7:35am Tue 5 Mar 13

We were told 9 years ago that the building was in a poor condition and uneconomic to refurbish.
Now after it has sat there unmaintained for all that time it's now 'reasonable and sound'??

There's something very fishy about this whole saga.

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Cazsmith says...
7:53am Tue 5 Mar 13

Personally I don't know why the odeon isn't refurbished and used as a new home for central library. The building it's in at the moment is condemned and everyone wants the odeon to stay so it would make that building relevant to all and stop us ploughing money into central library

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Johsay says...
8:08am Tue 5 Mar 13

Why spend £4.1m (or indeed get someone else to) if you are to demolish it next year.

Barra - not fit for purpose, regeneration? What regeneration?

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Mo Bradford says...
8:28am Tue 5 Mar 13

This is just a repeat of the same old stories with no twists!

You either keep the odeon and get on with it or knock down and build something in place of it.

It is embarrasing having it as it is in this day and age.

Why rely on other people to bring forward business plans and ideas when you guys in the councill are paid to do the job (Which your not doing too well).

Pull your fingers out of your b**k sides and get the odeon, westfield, the library done asap! This will prove something for the city and not be like Mr Greenwood who is retired with Regen funding money........... Enjoy you boys did well (NOT) with that money.

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Avro says...
8:34am Tue 5 Mar 13

£3.6 million needs spending on just the domes, and the overall figure is?

Odd that the Council have never mentioned that the HCA also own the the old Police HQ..

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notpoliticallycorrect says...
8:40am Tue 5 Mar 13

Walk around the City ........... what a shambles!!! The Council for the last 10 years have allowed our City to degenerate to a point of no return.

The Odeon saga sums up what is wrong. Someone needs to make a decision, if not viable then knock it down.

They were happy to demolish many viable sites a few years ago for the Westfield fiasco but cannot decide what to do to a pile of decrepid bricks with a couple of domes on.

We were 10 years behind Leeds as a City in 2000, how far behind are we now?

A legacy of poor planners and inept decision makers will leave this City hamstrung for the next Century.

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Joedavid says...
9:22am Tue 5 Mar 13

So back in 2004 it was in a poor condition and going to be costly so Yorkshire Forward and Bradford Regeneration left it to rot and get worse.
Now the Council find its not perfect but not as bad as then.
Are YF and BR going to be investigated on this and held to account?

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RonnieRhino says...
9:28am Tue 5 Mar 13

Can only echo "Angry Bradfordian's" comments.

The Council have stated for years the Building is a major risk to the Public and needs to be demolished straight away?

Now it's all of a sudden "Reasonable and Sound" ?

Hmmm.....

I don't want to see the Odeon demolished BUT lets be honest with outselves...The way it looks now is nothing short of a joke.

Something needs to be done...FAST.

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ertnec says...
10:19am Tue 5 Mar 13

What total rubbish, why sell the two buildings to Bradford Council when there don't eve have the money to keep its services know. Hundreds of jobs and services are in line of being lost and yet it looks like money yet again is going to be thrown away just like the large hole already. Bradford Council is very good at wasting our money on stupid reports and meetings but getting no were fast. Please once and for all knock both of these unsightly buildings down and start saving the money we have not got on things for the people of Bradford.

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Avro says...
10:22am Tue 5 Mar 13

Joedavid wrote:
So back in 2004 it was in a poor condition and going to be costly so Yorkshire Forward and Bradford Regeneration left it to rot and get worse.
Now the Council find its not perfect but not as bad as then.
Are YF and BR going to be investigated on this and held to account?
Who cares where blame lies, the past is the past and what happens now is what is important!

All we want to know is what the firm plan is if they spend a pound, and that they are going to get on with it?

Right now it looks like they are buying into a £1 can of worms that they may not be able to afford to put right, or are they simply buying to demolish?

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Avro says...
10:27am Tue 5 Mar 13

ertnec wrote:
What total rubbish, why sell the two buildings to Bradford Council when there don't eve have the money to keep its services know. Hundreds of jobs and services are in line of being lost and yet it looks like money yet again is going to be thrown away just like the large hole already. Bradford Council is very good at wasting our money on stupid reports and meetings but getting no were fast. Please once and for all knock both of these unsightly buildings down and start saving the money we have not got on things for the people of Bradford.
In the instance of the old Police HQ, the Bridewell cells, first need to be relocated at an estimated cost of £4 million before the building can be demolished, and at that, the £4 million spent is a temp move until the Mag Courts are be relocated.

Bradford is a mess, mess, mess and nothing but!

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Mo Bradford says...
11:11am Tue 5 Mar 13

HELLLPPP........
We need George Galloway in, he's the man with the ideas but nobody in the council would listen to him as the truth hurts about the lack of failures.
GG - contact your sheikhs in the middle east and please bail us out of this mess!
They have the money to pay over the odds for English clubs then surely they would invest a little in this part of the world! RESPECT :)

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Avro says...
12:38pm Tue 5 Mar 13

The council should release a YouTube 'One Pound Odeon' song similar to 'one pound fish'..........

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mr-dog says...
12:45pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Knock them both down.

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thatsnotmyname says...
1:48pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Mo Bradford wrote:
HELLLPPP........
We need George Galloway in, he's the man with the ideas but nobody in the council would listen to him as the truth hurts about the lack of failures.
GG - contact your sheikhs in the middle east and please bail us out of this mess!
They have the money to pay over the odds for English clubs then surely they would invest a little in this part of the world! RESPECT :)
Thats because his ideas are un-realistic. He talked the talk about helping out the odeon with funds from his dictator mates but it didn't happen did it.

There are two great ideas on the table for this place..'Bradford One' looking like the best option, neither of which need that idiots help.

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Mike Shipley says...
2:42pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Bad business for HCA. They bought this thinking it would be sold for big profit not big losses. If the council were to take this investment on on behalf of the people it would need to be value for money for the tax payer. The council or another government organisation e.g. EU grants should only pump money into it if it is going to be put to good use, preferably for the people. I would like to see it being used as an exhibition centre similar to Manchester central. I would hate to see it turned into a non-descript car park with little architectural relevance.

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basil fawlty says...
2:44pm Tue 5 Mar 13

The Magistrates Court relocation has been another shambles, but I dont wholly blame the Council. The plan to move the court and create a new business forest was a good one. We have however been let down, yet again, by the lack of any financial help from the government. Why is it that areas like Bradford, that are terribly run down and badly need governement assistance, get very little, yet areas like Leeds, that are thriving constantly braaging about their success, constantly receive the big grants? It is a mad world!

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Mike Shipley says...
2:44pm Tue 5 Mar 13

If it is to be redeveloped I would like to see the work go to a Bradford construction company providing jobs for the local people.

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Yorkshire Lass says...
2:50pm Tue 5 Mar 13

altogether now - here we go, here we go, here we go (again and again and again). Half of the old police station now standing should have originally been pulled down with the other half, the price was including in the early estimate for the City Park of £30m. It was decided that this was not feasible so the estimate then fell to £24m so one half of the police station was left standing. However on completion of the City Park I believe the cost turned out to be more like £30m. If I were the Government I would send in administrators to Bradford City Council and a proper audit done and say just exactly how much public money is being wasted and why. You don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that the figures on this project alone do not stack up. As for the Odeon - you couldn't make it up could you. More than 10 wasted years of nothing!

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spinnekop says...
2:54pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Avro wrote:
Joedavid wrote: So back in 2004 it was in a poor condition and going to be costly so Yorkshire Forward and Bradford Regeneration left it to rot and get worse. Now the Council find its not perfect but not as bad as then. Are YF and BR going to be investigated on this and held to account?
Who cares where blame lies, the past is the past and what happens now is what is important! All we want to know is what the firm plan is if they spend a pound, and that they are going to get on with it? Right now it looks like they are buying into a £1 can of worms that they may not be able to afford to put right, or are they simply buying to demolish?
Dear Avro, the reason why blame is important is that the criminal, corrupt, greedy and selfish are the cause of the mess everyone is suffering for and it is time it stopped and these evil scumbags are brought to account. From people who drive without seatbelts or car insurance to the stock traders, bankers and planet rapeing multinationals it has to STOP because there will come a day when enough people are so up against the wall that they will revolt and I assure you it will not be pretty.

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markjoe says...
3:03pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Yet again as I have previously mentioned when this story occurs what's happen to this Bradford Live - http://bradford-live
.co.uk/home-page/.
I bet the fat cats on the council have pounds in their eyes thinking they we able to buy it for £1 get the maintenance paid for then sell for a profit. They've got their blinkers on again get it sorted now.

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vikksy says...
4:53pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Can I stop laughing now? This council is hilarious.

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Not so simple says...
8:23pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Bradford council and it's various arms length organisations are not fit for purpose.

Bunch of arrogant people running the show in Bradford.

We are decades behind in development and investment.

Great city ruined by pathetic policies and politics of the Council.

Sack the lot of 'em

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bd7 helper says...
8:23pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Il buy it and fix after the recession very simple and easy

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BierleyBoy says...
8:49pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Bradford Council wastes huge amounts of public money & now it wants more for buildings nobody wants?

Knock them down & move on. Stop living in the past & look to the future like towns & cities all around have done.

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vikksy says...
10:13pm Tue 5 Mar 13

That's the whole point...We knock down...yes...but they don't move on, nothing gets built.

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room111124 says...
10:39pm Tue 5 Mar 13

"Barra - not fit for purpose".

Never a truer word spoken. He glides in and out of Bradford in his luxury motor vehicle from his expensive home in the leafy suburbs of Sheffield where he has a second job as Visiting Professor at Sheffield University. And we're paying him £115k+ a year.

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Deborah Daniels says...
3:12pm Sat 23 Mar 13

When I first saw Bradford 30 years ago my first impression was "what an ugly dirty run down place"
Now my impression is the same except it is overlaid with an impression of crime, food on pavements and spitting, down and outs sitting around in the street and people all around speaking anything but English
Not a pretty sight

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Joedavid says...
4:05pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Deborah Daniels wrote:
When I first saw Bradford 30 years ago my first impression was "what an ugly dirty run down place"
Now my impression is the same except it is overlaid with an impression of crime, food on pavements and spitting, down and outs sitting around in the street and people all around speaking anything but English
Not a pretty sight
What as that to do with the New Victoria lost inside.
Most of what you say might be applied to the whole of Bradford.

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