DERBY HIPPODROME

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A newly-formed group, Derby Hippodrome Restoration Fund, has been set up hoping to achieve the £15m restoration of the former theatre. A committee has been formed and members are calling for plans to demolish building and create a car park to be thrown out. Former city councillor Joan Travis, of Darley Abbey, is the chairman of the restoration fund. She says the £15m needed to rebuild the grade II-listed site would be much less than the £60m-plus required to build a brand new theatre.

She said, "The 58 objections posted on the council planning website against the proposal to convert the building into yet another car park give an idea of the strength of feeling among local people, who want to save this important building. There would be many more objections if people hadn't been misinformed that it was either too late or the cost too prohibitive to restore. We say it's not too late. We don't need another car park, but we do need a large theatre. Derby is missing out on offering the complete cultural experience." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Sep/09)

Approval of plans to construct a multi-storey car park on the site of the Hippodrome would contradict the council’s own advice. The planning officer’s report into a successful 2006 application for change of use from a bingo hall to a theatre stated that visitor parking would be absorbed within the existing city centre car parks.

The Derby Hippodrome Restoration Fund believes the council should follow its previous advice and reject the current planning application. The proposed multi-storey car park, which would replace the theatre, would take in the existing Cromford Street car park which has come in for criticism recently after visitors were clamped and ordered to pay £125 to be released.

Joan Travis, chair of the Fund, says, “Since 2006 the opening of the Westfield car park has provided 3,000 extra car parking spaces. There is an abundance of under-used existing car parking capacity in the vicinity of the Hippodrome and there is no need for more. We do not need another car park. We need a large theatre, whose patrons would help to fill the existing car parks."

She added, "A restored theatre would do far more to regenerate the area than would another car park. The restoration of this lovely theatre would give people the chance to experience so much wonderful theatre as they do in our neighbouring cities. We urge those who support its restoration to write to their councillors. We voters have a voice and should use it.”

For further information on the Hippodrome see: www.derbyhippodrome.co.uk
Email: action@derbyhippodrome.co.uk
Write to: Derby Hippodrome Restoration Fund, PO Box 7824, Derby, DE1 0TQ.

Owner Christopher Anthony, who bought The Hippodrome theatre for less than £400,000 two years ago, has put it up for sale for £1.2m. He said the price reflected the debts he built up from repeatedly remortgaging the Grade II-listed building to pay for work he had done to it. He said other costs had included architect fees, surveys, protection, stamp duties and interest payments. However, since he bought the building in May 2007 it has suffered severe damage, including a fire, and parts of its roof and sections of wall collapsing as Mr Anthony's contractors carried out work on the building.

And one property expert questioned the valuation. He believed that even if the land came with permission to demolish the listed building so it could be redeveloped, which it currently does not have, it would only be worth around £500,000. Otherwise, he said it was "of little value". Mr Anthony said, "I have the bank breathing down my neck. It is not really my building, it is the bank's and I can't sell it for less than I owe. This has put me in a really awkward position financially. I have spent so much on it. The majority has gone on asbestos removal, then repairs and liaising with the council."

Richard Williams, assistant director of regeneration and community at the city council, said, "Anyone wishing to purchase this building will need to be fully aware of Mr Anthony's current position with the council as well as his own financial liability." Mr Anthony said he had offered the building for sale to several groups, including the Derby Hippodrome Restoration Fund, on previous occasions, without detailing a price, but had not received an offer. He said, "No-one in Derby has come up with a sensible solution for the building."

Joan Travis, chairman of the Hippodrome Restoration Fund, said she was not aware of any approach by Mr Anthony in relation to buying the theatre. She said, "Mr Anthony should be putting it right and repairing the damage that has been done to the Hippodrome before he even thinks about selling it. The best thing Mr Anthony could do is to cut his losses, give the building back to the council and forget about it all." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Dec/09)

Fire crews were called to the Hippodrome where they found a blaze in the basement. Due to the condition of the structure, which was badly damaged in March 2008, crews did not enter and used aerial platforms to fight the flames. Firefighters said the cause was unlikely to be accidental and CCTV footage was being studied. Station manager Steve Ratcliffe said, "All the services have been turned off to the building so it is very unlikely it is an accidental cause. It is more than likely to be a deliberate ignition but we will be investigating further."

He said it was a relatively small fire compared to the previous one but the situation had been made difficult because of the existing state of the building. He added, "We had to assume a defensive approach and remain outside of the building because it was not safe enough for our men to go in. We have no reason to think that the fire started accidentally because there are no services to the site. It looked as if someone had broken through a door at street level and the fire appears to have started in the basement."

Flames were spotted coming from the windows by Andrew Rutherford, agent of London-based owner Christopher Anthony, who was in the area at the time carrying out a heritage survey. He said, "As we stood outside the building, we saw flames coming out and smoke billowing up over the city. I called the fire service and couldn't believe it when I was told I had been the first to ring about the fire because the smoke was quite dense everywhere. I understand someone was seen looting the building earlier in the day."

A police spokeswoman said, "We maintained a cordon throughout the afternoon and our officers spoke to passers-by and local shopkeepers. But we have been unable to get in to examine the building and so cannot conclusively say what caused the fire at this stage." A city council spokesman said, "It is a shame damage has been caused to this listed building. Our officers will be on site to make sure it is safe and secure and to investigate if any works are needed as a result of the fire." (Source: BBC News, Feb/10)

Christopher Anthony has pleaded guilty to carrying out work on the building without the right permission. He ordered work on the Grade II listed building two years ago which led to it being damaged but the judge at Derby Crown Court agreed he did not cause the damage for financial gain. Contractor Wayne Watson had all charges against him dropped after the city council's legal team offered no evidence. Judge David Pugsley said that if it had been proven that Anthony had deliberately caused damage to the building for financial gain, he would have not hesitated in imposing a prison sentence.

However, he had ruled out a custodial sentence because Anthony was "not a crook". He was therefore considering a fine or community punishment instead. Judge Pugsley said, "You went about it as a builder's answer to a bull in a China shop but it is not suggested you have financially benefited from it." Before handing out a sentence, Judge Pugsley said he wanted more information about the London developer's finances after it was revealed in court Anthony owed money to creditors and had reached an agreement on how he would pay them back. And the judge said he wanted the council to provide an estimate of the value of the Hippodrome.

Andrew McGee, in mitigation on behalf of Anthony, stated it was valued at £500,000 as it was or £1.3m if a pending planning application to turn it into a multi-storey car park was granted. He added that Anthony had spent £1.2m on buying and carrying out work to the building. Ordering a pre-sentence report, Judge Pugsley told Anthony, "I just need to know more about your finances, I need to know more about you. This is not a case for picking a figure out of the air." Mr McGee told the court he did not feel a fine above four figures would be appropriate and urged a lesser fine to be imposed.

After the court case, Anthony said he was glad it had been stated that he had not set out to damage the building. He said, "Everyone said I'd demolished the building on purpose. I always said I never had and now that's been agreed." Anthony had been accused of damaging the listed building along with a contractor, Wayne Watson. The council offered no evidence in relation to Mr Watson, of College Street, Nottingham, and the charges against him were dismissed. After the hearing, Anthony said he was seeking legal advice about the competency of several contractors he employed, and considering whether to take action against organisations for defamation of character for stating he had "vandalised" the building.

Derby City Council heralded Anthony's guilty plea as a success after he admitted the machinery used to carry out work on the roof was inappropriate and the method for carrying out the work had not been agreed with the authority. Council leader Hilary Jones said, "It has now been almost two years since the offence was committed and we realise this has been a frustrating time for the public and other interested parties. During this time, the council has taken legal steps to protect the building including obtaining an injunction against Mr Anthony preventing him from demolishing it, and carrying out urgent works to protect it." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Feb/10)

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