Iconic city centre venue where BBC legends once starred ‘to be demolished’ after 110 years
AN ICONIC city centre theatre is being demolished after a series of arson attacks.
The venue has hosted Morecambe and Wise along with some of Britain’s all-time greats of the stage.
The Derby Hippodrome is being demolished, despite the historic building’s Grade II protected status.
Derby City Council said it had to use emergency powers to make the site safe after damage from a series of arson attacks.
The building was set ablaze on Friday last week, with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service confirming on Monday that this was done deliberately.
This was the third fire the theatre has suffered in just over a month, with incidents in mid-April and early May causing significant damage to its structural integrity.
On Sunday, contractors began the process of demolishing the Hippodrome.
The theatre is over a hundred years old, having been erected in 1914, and seats over 2,000 spectators.
It spent the first 20 years of its life as a cinema, before Morecambe and Wise appeared in the panto classic Babes in the Wood in the 1950s, when it reopened.
The venue played host to other national treasures, such as singer George Formby and comic Frankie Howerd.
Until as late as 2007, the structure was still being used as a bingo hall, before closing its doors to the public.
In February, the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust announced its ambition to compulsory purchase the site and renovate it as an alternative music venue.
These hopes were boosted by The Theatres Trust (TTT) recently awarding a grant to the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust to advance this work.
But tragically, these hopes seem to be in vain, as the council has said it does not yet know if any of the red brick theatre can be saved.
Its Public Safety chairman, Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, said: “At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to keep residents safe.
“I understand there are people upset because it is a Grade Two listed building but ultimately you must compare that with the possible loss of life if it comes to collapse.”
The council said the roof of the building, next to Macklin Street, was destroyed on Sunday, and one of the Hippodrome’s walls was demolished.
This work was done to “level the basement” so that machines can move further into the site and destroy other parts of the structure.
While necessary for public safety, the demolition has caused a great deal of upset among local bodies and residents.
TTT Chief executive Joshua McTaggart said: “Derby Hippodrome had an irreplaceable social and cultural heritage, much of which is now likely to be sadly lost.
“But this is about more than just heritage.
“Until this recent series of fires, there was still a realistic opportunity to save parts of the building and bring it back into use as an independent music venue.”
Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust added: “This marks the final chapter in a long and troubled history that has ultimately led to the loss of a building of significant historic and architectural value.”
Derby Hippodrome is owned by a foreign finance firm.
The public have been asked to stay away from the demolition site to enable works to take place.