BaR News Round-up January 2025

Fresh information on a range of sites from around the country brings sale news for a magnificent house in Derbyshire, progress for an elegant, landmark grade I listed building in Penzance, news about Torquay Pavilion and new work beginning at Paignton Picture House.  The New Year also brings the start of our annual cycle of updates, which is already under way in the South West.

Allestree Hall, Derby

Allestree Hall in Derby was begun in 1795 by James Wyatt for Bache Thornhill.  It has had an interesting history of owners and, although its interiors have been altered over time, it still retains some interesting features.  The grade II* listed hall and its grounds have been in council ownership since after the Second World War but most of the house has been without a use since the 1980s. The servants wing was in use as a golf club for the Allestree Park golf course which was originally laid out before WW2 and is believed to be an early and historically important course.  The hall has been offered for sale at least twice in the recent past and in 2020 there were plans to restore the hall as a wedding venue.  Despite getting approval, the developer did not proceed with the scheme.

In October 2024, the Council put the hall on the market again for £1.25m and announced at the end of December that a Derby property development company, Staton Young, was the successful bidder.  The company will now apply for planning permission to develop the hall as a wedding venue as the previous permission has expired.   The Council have noted that taking immediate protective steps to safeguard the property was a condition of sale and that the new owner will work with the Council and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust who are rewilding the grounds.  It is not clear how the rewilding of the grounds impacts the setting of this building or the historic golf course (now closed).  We will follow the progress of this interesting new development. 

Old Town Hall, Penzance, Cornwall

With works due to start shortly to restore and refit the interior of this grade I listed beauty, 2025 promises to be an exciting one for the revival of the Old Town Hall.   In worryingly deteriorating condition 6 years ago, it was added to Historic England's at risk register and also to SAVE's.  In 2023, the building benefited from funding from the Future High Streets Fund and was acquired by Penzance Regeneration Company, a not-for-profit company, established by local stakeholders to restore the bulding for the benefit of the community. The vision for this redevelopment includes a food hall with street food kitchens on the ground floor, a café, bar and events space on the first floor and a town hub for the Council and shared workspace on the lower ground floor.    In 2024 the exterior of the building was completely restored by Lloyds Bank which was the previous lessee. Historic England have been involved with the Council and the Penzance Regeneration Company on the project.  

The Old Town Hall and Market House was built between 1836-8 by Bristol Architect William Harris. It is a grand structure in granite ashlar crowned by a large, lead-covered dome on a steeply sloping site. The building has had a multitude of functions during its lifetime. Initially, the western half of the site was home to a market, whilst the eastern side served as Penzance’s guildhall. During the 1860s, the basement contained several prison cells, with a grammar school situated upstairs on the first floor. The Corn Exchange was also located within the western end, which doubled up as home to the Penwith Natural History Society. Since 1925, the western half of the building has been owned by Lloyds Bank, who remodelled the front entrance by fifteen feet when they first took up occupation, and the site was then awarded a grade I listing in 1950.

Torquay Pavilion, Devon    

It has taken almost a year, but grade II listed Torquay Pavilion is now back in the ownership of the Council. They announced at the end of November 2024, that their lease surrender negotiations with lessee Marina Developments Limited had been completed.

Beautifully embodying the elegance and invention of seaside architecture at the turn of the 20th century, Torquay Pavilion was built in 1911 to designs of architect Edward Richards.  Inside the central hall, originally a concert hall, has exceptional detailed plasterwork and noted Art Nouveau stained glass windows.  It was used as a plastic ice rink in the 1980s and then, after being leased, it was run as a shopping arcade until closing for redevelopment in 2012.  Plans were approved in 2018 for a large hotel development but these were quickly overturned following a Judicial Review brought by local groups who opposed the intensive redevelopment of the sea front and of the Pavilion.  Since then there was a period of apparent stalemate during which the future use and current condition of the pavilion became the focus for the same local campaigners wanting the building to be conserved and protected.  

The Council have announced that they are preparing to carry out a comprehensive survey to determine the condition of the building and will be working with Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop restoration plans.  They also say that they are seeking a commercial end user for the Pavilion “who may have development plans for the wider site”.

Paignton Picture Palace, Torbay, Devon

Not far from the Pavilion, there is some very good news for the grade II* listed Paignton Picture Palace where a second phase of work to bring it back into use has just started. 

This lovely old cinema with Agatha Christie connections has been on our register since 2008.  It was taken on by the Paignton Picture House Trust which successfully completed a significant first phase of restoration in 2021-22. Their plans are to create a hub for cultural activities in Paignton and reopen as a cinema. A second phase of work focussing on internal works and the installation of a lift have gained approval.  Despite the Trust, with Council support, being awarded funds from the government's Cultural Development Fund and Future High Streets Fund, at the end of 2024, there were reports of a funding gap caused in part by rising costs.  However, the announcement in January 2025 that work had started indicates that a way to proceed has been found. The Trust are still fund raising and welcome interest in their project.  The work is due to complete in 2026.