TWBC receives application to demolish old cinema site

By Rebecca_H | Monday, November 07, 2011, 15:49

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council today confirmed it has received an application to demolish the derelict ABC cinema site in the centre of town.

The first step on the route to this eyesore vanishing for good?

The application was submitted by Bellhouse Joseph - owners of the site - who are seeking permission to demolish the existing building.

It has stood empty for more than ten years when the Odeon cinema shut its doors for the final time. Since then, it has changed hands a number of times, but plans have never reached fruition, making it one of the town's political hot-potatoes.

So desperate were council chiefs to finally bring the long-running saga to end, it vowed to serve a compulsory purchase order unless action was swift to transform it.

That threat, despite the recent purchase and discussions with the owners of Premier Inn to open a venue on the site, remains hanging in the air should the new owners not carry out their promises.

Council leader Bob Atwood described the application as 'a great step forward'. He said: "For 11 years we have had to put up with a derelict cinema in the heart of our town. During this time we have heard from a string of developers about their intentions for the site, none of which have come to fruition.

"The site has become notorious and so I consider it very good news to learn that, subject to planning permission, it could soon be removed from our landscape.

"The borough council has been working hard behind the scenes to do all it can to rid the town of its grot spots. Already we are looking forward to the refurbishment and reopening of the Morrisons store and now it seems we could be seeing the beginning of the end of the saga of the cinema."

It is expected that the outcome of the planning application for demolition will be known in around three months.

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Comments

I agree entirely with Cas1946.
It would be a disaster to replace the eyesore with such charming developments as the AXA building in Crescent road.
Perhaps residents should be allowed to nominate examples of good architecture in the town, old and new. Certainly, the new development should attempt to reflect or pay tribute to the unique architectural charm of Tunbridge Wells. Wellington House in Church street seems a good example of modern but acceptable, not a pastiche and not an imitation.
Seems a shame that we in this country seem such architectural vandals, especially when using "bomb damage" as an excuse after the war to replace the character buildings with new boxes built in the Post War Manic Depressive school of architecture. And we have some dubious examples of the 1920-30s style of Brave New World workers paradise architecture.
I do hope the council will exercise some sort of control on what is and is not acceptable and not be pressured into accepting any old modern functional but ugly rubbish.

By jmw123 at 17:08 on 23/03/12
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I agree that this eyesore should be demolished as soon as possible - however I dread to think what will be put in its place.

Having seen the wonderful buildings that have been demolished over the past century and replaced with very ugly buildings - I sincerely hope that the planning authorities will insist on the redevelopment being much more in keeping with the other beautiful Decimus Burton buildings in the town.

I cannot imagine Bath or Cheltenham allowing such desecration of their towns as has taken place in Tunbridge Wells.

By cas1946 at 16:07 on 22/11/11
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Though I am glad to be seeing the back of this awful eyesore, it is still extremely sad that a town centre cinema as wonderfully art-deco as that is closed. So many memories of going there and how businesses thrived because of it down Mount Pleasant. The popularity of the Trinity cinema only goes to prove the short-sightedness of Odeon to close it down in order to attract business to North Farm; but what now, it's impossible to get there!

A beautiful cinema, will be much missed, but about time it disappeared and this town started to get back on its feet again.

By Hary828 at 17:09 on 07/11/11
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