The Derby Hippodrome was deemed to be unsafe after a fire took place at the derelict site
Built in 1914, the former 2,300-seat performance venue was placed under “emergency planning” by Derby City Council after it suffered its third fire in just over a month on Friday 16 May, with demolition crews beginning to take down parts of the building just two days later.
Fire crews from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue were called out to the Grade-II listed building on Green Lane in the city centre yet again, having previously tackled blazes earlier in the month and in mid-April.
Five fire engines responded to deal with the blaze at the derelict building, as roads were closed and people were advised to avoid the area.
The building had been allowed to fall into disrepair in the last 18 years since it was last used. According to Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, ownership of the property passed to a foreign finance company who did “nothing to secure or repair the building”, despite it being on the Theatres at Risk list since 2006, and who failed to “even to carry out basic works to make it safe”.
In a statement, they said, “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 — one that had been recognised on Derby’s local list of heritage assets.”
They went on to say that “those responsible for the building’s neglect should be held accountable — both for the irreversible loss of a heritage asset and the public costs incurred in making the site safe”, and that “no party should be allowed to profit from the clearance of the site, should it now increase in value as a potential development opportunity”.
As reported by Derbyshire Live, work began on Sunday 18 May to demolish parts of the unsafe building, with a council spokesperson saying: “The fire at the Hippodrome on Friday caused severe damage and the structure and integrity of the building is at risk.
"There is now imminent danger to the safety of the public, so emergency planning powers have been used to begin demolition work.
"This work will continue until the building no longer poses a threat to public safety. Currently, we don't know how much, if any, of the building can be saved."
However, a statement from the Theatres Trust highlighted concerns raised by Historic England and others over the speed at which the demolition process began, although it noted that they “understand that the demolition has now paused” whilst steps were taken to establish the state of the building.
The statement continues: “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.
“We will continue to work with everyone concerned in the hope that this isn’t a heartbreaking final outcome for Derby Hippodrome.”
The cause of the latest fire is under investigation.
Photo: Derby Hippodrome, Theatres Trust