Councillors may get to vote on plan to demolish iconic Bradford building (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Councillors may get to vote on plan to demolish iconic Bradford building
7:30am Monday 12th October 2009 in
Bradford’s 90 councillors could finally get to have their say on the fate of the former Odeon cinema.
But any vote at tomorrow’s full Council meeting will not overturn the decision to demolish the 1930s building made by the regulatory and appeals committee last month.
Councillor David Ward, the Liberal Democrat deputy group leader, is putting a motion to the Council which calls for members to reject the decision made by five members of the committee to knock down the unlisted Odeon building.
The motion also condemns Yorkshire Forward, as the owner of the building, for going against the Council’s replacement Unitary Development Plan, which supports the retention of the Odeon. It also claims doubts remain over the true state of the building and the cost of its retention because the regional development agency did not allow an independent survey to be carried out.
Coun Ward said: “Too many councillors have ducked down behind the parapet and failed to engage in the debate about the future of the Odeon.
“There is clearly huge public support for the Odeon but what actually do the majority of councillors feel about it?
“If the majority of councillors support demolition the public has a right to know.
“If a majority do not support demolition then why have Bradford Centre Regeneration and Yorkshire Forward, both unelected bodies, been allowed to determine the future of such an important building on such an important site in the city centre?”
The decision to demolish the Odeon and allow a £40m replacement to be constructed on the site was made after a lengthy meeting of the committee.
The vote for Langtree Artisan’s New Victoria Place designs was four in favour to three against. The Council made it clear the developer would have to sign up to a legal agreement which would prevent the Odeon being knocked down before the money and tenants are in place to ensure its replacement will be built.
Langtree Artisan still has another couple of days to wait before the final confirmation from the Government and the planning permission is official.
A spokesperson for Bradford Council said: “The constitution delegates decisions on planning applications to the regulatory and appeals committee, not the full Council.
“The committee’s decision has now been referred to the Secretary of State who has at least 21 days to decide whether the decision can be rubber stamped subject to the stringent conditions laid down by the committee.”
Comments(19)
g-daffi
says...
9:11am Mon 12 Oct 09
Joedavid
says...
9:31am Mon 12 Oct 09
Should they vote against the demolishing of the Odeon does the Sectretary of State take notice of this?
mad matt
says...
10:00am Mon 12 Oct 09
If they don't want to knock it down, leave it as it is. It will fall down of it's own accord soon enough!
(and the sooner the better for me)
reneeh1
says...
10:24am Mon 12 Oct 09
eldraco
says...
11:28am Mon 12 Oct 09
Too late, too late.........
RikG01
says...
12:34pm Mon 12 Oct 09
Moon on a stick
says...
12:37pm Mon 12 Oct 09
.
Councillors can vote no to the Odeon's demolishion knowing full well it's going to happen anyway.
.
Frankly the Lib Dems along with the Tories have failed time and time again regenerating the city centre and have actually made the centre decline in the last 10 years rather than improve. Many of the independant traders have closed and the larger chains do better business on their retail units outside of the city centre.
The Odeon Crusader
says...
1:25pm Mon 12 Oct 09
Geordie Bantam
says...
5:27pm Mon 12 Oct 09
It's certainly a ploy by the Lib Dems to get votes the only problem is, it aint gonna get em many! Everyone I have ever spoken to that has seen the Odeon thinks it is a disgusting building and can not understand why anyone would want to save it. Lib Dems and others such as the T&A think everyone wants to save it when in fact nearly everyone wants it demolished - the problem is that the save the Odeon crusaders are much more vocal in their opinions (Obviously).
g-daffi
says...
5:50pm Mon 12 Oct 09
Geordie Bantam wrote:They may be more vocal but they are wasting thier time,its coming down get used to it.
I'm very confused with all the fuss. it's about time the 'Odeon Crusaders' give up so we can get a move on and demolish it and get a nice brand spanking new development there asap. It's certainly a ploy by the Lib Dems to get votes the only problem is, it aint gonna get em many! Everyone I have ever spoken to that has seen the Odeon thinks it is a disgusting building and can not understand why anyone would want to save it. Lib Dems and others such as the T&A think everyone wants to save it when in fact nearly everyone wants it demolished - the problem is that the save the Odeon crusaders are much more vocal in their opinions (Obviously).
koeeoaddiladdi
says...
6:56pm Mon 12 Oct 09
Geordie Bantam wrote:I think your wrong. Nobody with any level of architectural appeciation would want to knock the odeon down and replace with a glass box. I don't think you quite understand the consequences of doing so. I also speak to lots of people about this issue on a daily basis and I think it is quite clear that the vast majority of Bradfordians definately do not want the odeon to be demolished.
I'm very confused with all the fuss. it's about time the 'Odeon Crusaders' give up so we can get a move on and demolish it and get a nice brand spanking new development there asap. It's certainly a ploy by the Lib Dems to get votes the only problem is, it aint gonna get em many! Everyone I have ever spoken to that has seen the Odeon thinks it is a disgusting building and can not understand why anyone would want to save it. Lib Dems and others such as the T&A think everyone wants to save it when in fact nearly everyone wants it demolished - the problem is that the save the Odeon crusaders are much more vocal in their opinions (Obviously).
Why is the T & A so negative in it's reporting of the whole affair ?
The matter is now with the secretary of state and I think you will find there are far more objections than appraisals of the proposal. Why would anybody want to rip the heart out of Bradford and leave us with another soulless office block ? Nobody would be attracted to come to Bradford for office blocks or another hotel. It is sheer bloody madness.
g-daffi
says...
7:12pm Mon 12 Oct 09
koeeoaddiladdi wrote:So is keeping it,madness beyond belief.
Geordie Bantam wrote: I'm very confused with all the fuss. it's about time the 'Odeon Crusaders' give up so we can get a move on and demolish it and get a nice brand spanking new development there asap. It's certainly a ploy by the Lib Dems to get votes the only problem is, it aint gonna get em many! Everyone I have ever spoken to that has seen the Odeon thinks it is a disgusting building and can not understand why anyone would want to save it. Lib Dems and others such as the T&A think everyone wants to save it when in fact nearly everyone wants it demolished - the problem is that the save the Odeon crusaders are much more vocal in their opinions (Obviously).I think your wrong. Nobody with any level of architectural appeciation would want to knock the odeon down and replace with a glass box. I don't think you quite understand the consequences of doing so. I also speak to lots of people about this issue on a daily basis and I think it is quite clear that the vast majority of Bradfordians definately do not want the odeon to be demolished. Why is the T & A so negative in it's reporting of the whole affair ? The matter is now with the secretary of state and I think you will find there are far more objections than appraisals of the proposal. Why would anybody want to rip the heart out of Bradford and leave us with another soulless office block ? Nobody would be attracted to come to Bradford for office blocks or another hotel. It is sheer bloody madness.
The Odeon Crusader
says...
7:36pm Mon 12 Oct 09
I'd prefer to benchmark public opinion by assessing the common sense views found within 2,000+ documented objections on the planner's website than the unquantified opinions of your kith and kin.
Save the Odeon!
koeeoaddiladdi
says...
9:37pm Mon 12 Oct 09
There really is no justification in the decision to demolish it. There are already many awful and vacant buildings that are crying out to be demolished (ex-YB opposite Morrisons, ex police station etc)
the problem with these so called, 'brand spanking new buildings' is that they do not wear well. They are enviromentally suicidal and uncharacteristic.
The planning committee are an absolute disgrace.
ms walker
says...
10:06pm Mon 12 Oct 09
Also, the reason it looks such a mess is because it's been allowed to fall into a state of dereliction by Yorkshire Forward and BCR, a criminal and deliberate attempt to gain support for their shiny glass fish tank (note well, oh Bradfordians, those optimistic bright blue skies shown on the artists' impressions and do not be misled...!)
Furthermore, I notice that *spit* Jan Anderson of aforementioned Yorkshire Forward was vocal in her support of the Leeds arena this morning on radio Leeds, while we in Bradford get precisely naff all of any use off them!
g-daffi
says...
9:22am Tue 13 Oct 09
The Odeon Crusader wrote:2,000+documented objections,out of how many?There are not enough objecters to even warrant an argument,go find something else to champion.
g-daffi: "Everyone I have ever spoken to that has seen the Odeon thinks it is a disgusting building and can not understand why anyone would want to save it." I'd prefer to benchmark public opinion by assessing the common sense views found within 2,000+ documented objections on the planner's website than the unquantified opinions of your kith and kin. Save the Odeon!
The Odeon Crusader
says...
10:04am Tue 13 Oct 09
Like many others, I will only give up the fight when the bulldozers have done their worst - I hope that continues to enrage you!
Peter Craven
says...
6:33pm Tue 13 Oct 09
Remember the great Victoria Market? What was it replaced by? A pathetic cheap looking shopping mall, which has absolutely no character whatsoever.
Save the Odeon. Let the architects et al., make a fast buck with cheap materials elsewhere.
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Avro says...
7:52am Mon 12 Oct 09
So what's the point?
"If a majority do not support demolition then why have Bradford Centre Regeneration and Yorkshire Forward, both unelected bodies, been allowed to determine the future of such an important building on such an important site in the city centre?”
A very good question!