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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE February 2022 6
Ritz will not become homes What are your
the Ritz cinema?
he Ritz Cinema restoration has buildings. opment strategy. This is a working memories of
Tbegun with work to re-open the In Long Eaton, it plans to demolish plan that sets out the key priori- What would you
three shops on the ground floor. the Galaxy Cinema to make way ties for the borough’s pandemic like it to be in the
The new owners say they have for flats. But the Ritz has legal pro- recovery. We want to continue the future? Let us
plans for the rest of the llkeston tection from bulldozers and was the drive to see our economy grow and
building which are “definitely not recent subject of a letter to Ilkeston to ensure we take full advantage of know.
residential.” Life, suggesting it would make a opportunities on offer.”
Scaffolding is on the South Street fine theatre. The Ritz opened as a cinema in
frontage where the shops form part That was welcomed by council- 1938, designed by architect Regi-
of the art deco building, which is lor James Dawson, deputy leader nald Cooper. It is said to be partly
on a national list of historic struc- of the minority Labour group on inspired by Odeon cinemas which
tures. Erewash. had German design influences from
It is owned by HBW, which con- He said: “I would like to see it as a the 1920s.
verted Ilkeston Co-op into flats community arts space. The legal protection covers elabo-
with ground floor shops, offices and “It is a part of Ilkeston history and rate art deco plasterwork inside the
a gym. it would be a shame if any of that building, which was last used as a
Office manager Jo Stewart said: is lost.” bingo hall.
“We have started work on the three The council said that it currently It has not been used for several
shops and want to bring them back has no planning application for the years and was on the market for
to their original former glory. Ritz. The shop work does not need £660,000 two years ago.
“It is a listed building and every- approval. An expert report describes it as “a
body appreciates that. Conservative councillor Michael remarkably complete example of a
“We have uses for the rest of the Powell, the lead member for re- fine cinema of the 1930s, the exte-
building and are waiting for Ere- generation, said: “We have always rior `show’ elevations an exercise
wash Council to get back to us. made it clear that we are happy in converging mass and stream-
“It is not, definitely not, going to be to talk to the owners of key sites lining in the `Odeon’ manner, the
residential. There are the original and buildings in our borough and, interior with much Art Deco fibrous
steps in the cinema and other fabu- indeed, have done so on several plasterwork.
lous things.” occasions and continue to do so. “Cooper is recognised as one of
She said there has already been “We are open to offering advice the most important provincial
interest from people keen on the and guidance on any possible architects working the cinema
shop premises, including plans for planning applications as part of our genre, and this is perhaps his finest
a large tea room. commitment to breathing new life surviving work.”
The borough council is seeking to into our towns.
revive town centres and has just “We will shortly be asking resi- Ilkeston’s Ritz cinema - a splendid iconic building in its heyday - is now an eyesore after being targeted
published a report speaking of dents and businesses for their views by vandals. After closing as a picture house, it became a bingo hall but has been unused for some years.
problems posed by large empty on our proposed economic devel- The owners have started restoration work and are willing to listen to ideas for its future.