A planning inspector said the total demolition of the old cinema in Hobson Street “would not be acceptable” due to the loss of the historic facade
Developers have been blocked from knocking down an old cinema in Cambridge after concerns were raised about the loss of the historic art deco facade. The 1930s cinema in Hobson Street had faced demolition under wider redevelopment plans to build a new office block.
Cambridge City Council had refused to grant permission for the work after councillors argued demolishing the building was ‘not right for the city’.
An appeal was launched to try and overturn this decision by SSHA Redevelopment Partners after the building’s owner, Mark Richer, said he had spent over a decade trying to find a user for the building and that something needed to be done to “stop the rot and breathe in fresh life” to the site.
The old cinema was last used as a bingo hall, but has now sat empty for a number of years. The redevelopment plans proposed to knock down the old cinema, as well as neighbouring buildings, in order to build a new office block. A community space was also proposed and the developer said they would refurbish Hobson’s Passage.
A hearing was held in September where a planning inspector heard arguments from both sides. A decision notice published by the planning inspectorate has confirmed that the appeal has been dismissed, and the city council’s decision upheld.
In their report the planning inspector said they had been given a feasibility study that highlighted “challenges” with keeping the art deco facade of the old cinema, including the lack of windows, when looking to redevelop the site.
They said the study claimed that potential occupiers would be “unlikely to attach any value to the heritage significance of the retained Hobson Street facade and are likely to prefer a modern, purpose-designed facade”.
However the inspector said they found this argument “unconvincing” and said in their experience offices within converted buildings in a city centre were “highly desirable”.
The inspector added that it had also not been demonstrated that glazing over new parts of the building could not offset the limited glazing on the front. They said: “The former cinema has a moderate degree of significance, both for its own merits and for its contribution to the conservation area.
“The loss of its principal facade would result in a loss of historic fabric and would also diminish the special character and appearance of the Hobson Street streetscene.
“Whilst I appreciate that it is unlikely that a new use could be found for the building as a whole, the evidence in relation to total demolition is not compelling. On this basis I consider that the scale and extent of loss would not be acceptable.”
The planning inspector also raised concerns about the impact of the proposed new office buildings on the city’s skyline.
They said: “I have found that the proposal would have an adverse impact upon the surrounding historic environment and, through a combination of its scale, massing and architecture, there would also be an adverse impact on the Cambridge skyline. It therefore follows that the proposal would not represent a high quality addition to the skyline.”
The inspector said they recognised there would be benefits of the proposed redevelopment, including the “significant benefit” of the proposed community space. However, they said these benefits would not be enough to outweigh the issues identified with the plans.
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