The owner of the former Derby Hippodrome Theatre has spoken exclusively to Derbyshire Live. He says he hopes that a solution can be found soon for what is left of the building following an arson attack last year.
He also denied that he has ever said he wanted to demolish the building – but stated it is an “eyesore”.
Christopher Anthony, who has owned the building since 2007 when he bought it for £375,000, was speaking shortly after he met with Derby City Council officials about the future of the Grade II-listed Green Lane building, which was largely demolished following the latest fire at the building in May 2025.
Full of praise for latest meeting with city council
He was full of praise for the way the meeting had gone and confirmed that he and the council had been talking about “the way forward”. He added he felt there had “been a lot of misunderstanding and mixed messages”.
Persuading some heritage people that he has good intentions towards the building may be a bit of an uphill struggle for Mr Anthony, who notified the council that he planned to knock it down shortly after he purchased it, but permission for this was refused.
Instead, Mr Anthony was ordered to repair the building by Derby City Council.
But, during the course of the work, beginning on March 28, 2008, the roof and walls of the Green Lane building were damaged.
Mr Anthony then submitted a planning application to turn the Hippodrome into a multi-storey car park with a residential development on the adjoining Crompton Street car park, which was rejected in 2010.
In April of the same year, Mr Anthony was given a “conditional discharge” after admitting to ordering work on the listed building without permission.
Owner went into adminstration over multimillion-pound costs
His financial affairs were such that he went into administration because he could not afford the multimillion-pound cost of reinstatement or even the usual fine.
He told Derbyshire Live that an injunction was brought against him at that time, which said he was unable to touch or do anything to the building.
He said that this remains in place currently, and has meant that he was limited in what he could do to rectify the more recent problems that have occurred on the site.
Following May’s fire and demolition, all that is left in place is the original frontage containing the entrance, box office and soaring projection box.
There are varying opinions as to whether the remaining structure is safe – as borne out by the city council’s removal of measures to block off Green Lane before Christmas and allow workmen in to carry out remedial work currently, which indicates the authority believes it is now safe to do so.
The opposite view is that it is in danger of collapse, according to an engineering survey, which had been carried out on behalf of Mr Anthony and concluded that “the remaining structure is imminently dangerous”.
Contrasting views on Hippodrome safety lead to deadlock
Such contrasting views have led to deadlock in the increasingly complex situation, which saw the Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP), working on behalf of Derby City Council, step in, in the aftermath of the May 16 fire to arrange a demolition company to take down large chunks of the building without needing permission from the owner, on the grounds that the building was dangerous and using what is termed a Section 78 notice, and assuming emergency control of the site.
An urgent works notice was issued to Mr Anthony last October describing the work needed to ensure the safety and preservation of the building and this is now being carried out by the city council under a Section 54 preservation notice. In all likelihood, the cost of the work will be billed to Mr Anthony.
Hippodrome saga forced neighbours to move out
A further complication in the Hippodrome saga has arisen over concern that the current condition of the Hippodrome is affecting the nearby building at 76 Green Lane – the end property of a Victorian terrace built before the 1914 Hippodrome and which houses a shop and flats.
Derbyshire Live has seen a letter which has been sent to the city council on behalf of the landlord of the Green Lane property, which highlights that there is “excessive cracking to the rear elevation and the flank wall return of the property”, and has led to the tenants moving out.
The cracking on the wall of the adjacent property is being blamed on the condition of the Hippodrome building but is still being investigated(Image: Submitted)
The letter continues: “Having reviewed the original structural reports it is apparent that the condition of the Hippodrome southern flank wall is structurally compromised and 76 Green Lane together with the attached terraces appear to be reliant upon the stability and continued stability of the Hippodrome”.
The damage was reported to the owner by tenants approximately three months ago and inspections by the owner at regular intervals confirmed the movement to be progressive, according to Simon Walker, of Aspect Consulting Engineers Ltd, who has inspected the terraced house.
‘The Hippodrome is a bomb site and an eyesore’
But despite the conflicting surveys and apparent stand-off regarding the future of the Hippodrome, Mr Anthony told Derbyshire Live that his meeting – the first with the local authority since last July – with city council chief executive Paul Simpson was “quite positive”.
He said: “Nothing has changed or been decided – although that could change in the next couple of weeks – but it was all very positive. No 76 is going to be inspected and hopefully it is not as bad as we think.
“The Hippodrome is a bomb site, it’s an eyesore, so we need to try to find a way forward and I am not sure what can be saved until we get another report that we have been waiting for since December 8.
“At the moment, it is a complicated situation. In the past, council surveyors have said it is OK, my surveyors have said it is not OK. So the council is having to go with its previous assessment that it is OK.
“So I have said let’s have an open and genuine discussion and the council is being very helpful. We need to find a solution.”
Work taking place last June to demolish large parts of the building(Image: Submitted)
Mr Anthony says no one can say what can be done yet but he says the council is taking it very seriously. He said: “I think there has been some confusion but the council wants to move the whole thing forward.
“We are trying to assess what can be done with this heritage asset which can’t be knocked down. It’s a listed building and there are limitations as to what can be done. I don’t know what can be done until we determine the structural integrity of the building and so I don’t know where this is going.”
A ‘legal minefield’
Mr Anthony admitted he still wasn’t sure what the urgent works notice entailed and was waiting for the report on that. He said: “It’s a bit of a legal minefield because I have an injunction on me preventing me from carrying out work on the building which has been in place for a long time. I have never said I won’t do the work.
“I did receive a report saying why part of it had to be demolished just a couple of months ago from DBCP which was just a few lines.”
Mr Anthony added: “The building cannot be cleared because it is listed and so it is important to consider what is left on its merits. I don’t know where it has come from that I said I wanted it demolished.
“It is what it is and we are where we are – and with the help of the council we will see how we can go forward. I am a calm realist.
“There has been a lot of misunderstanding and mixed messages and I am hoping we can move forward within the next couple of weeks.”
What does the city council have to say about the Hippodrome?
Derbyshire Live approached the city council for its views about the meeting with Mr Anthony. A council spokesperson said: “We remain engaged with the property owner regarding the future of the Hippodrome site.”
Regarding the situation involving the property at 76 Green Lane, this was the council’s response: “The council is aware of the situation and will assist where it is appropriate to do so, however, this remains a private matter between the owners of the Hippodrome and the owner of the adjacent property.
“We are satisfied that the adjacent owner has employed the necessary engineering expertise to assess any concerns relating to that building.”
In 2013, the Hippodrome was listed as an Asset of Community Value, giving Derby Hippodrome Theatre Trust (DHRT), which wanted to restore the building, the sole rights for a period of six months to negotiate its purchase.
The asking price for the derelict building at the time was £1 million, or a joint venture to restore the building with the cost of the freehold on completion being £2 million. At that time DHRT could likely have got funding of around £50,000 for the purchase, but not millions.
DHRT has over the years drafted and costed various designs for the Hippodrome from a performance venue through to a theatre capable of taking touring productions.
In the meantime, a plan was put forward by Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT) to turn the building into an alternative music venue for the city, supported by the national Theatres Trust, which was still on the table when last May’s fire took place.
Heritage groups in Derby have been very vocal in condemning the deterioration of the building and have been calling for more clarity and openness about its future.
A brief history of the building
Built as a 2,300-seat variety theatre, the Hippodrome has been on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk list, in recognition of it being “a rare surviving example from an early stage in the crossover period when buildings were being constructed for both live performance and cinema”.
It later became a cinema, a theatre again and finally a bingo hall. Over the years, many stars appeared there, including George Formby, Morecambe and Wise, Frankie Howerd and also Sir Sean Connery, in his pre-007 days, in a production of the musical South Pacific.
It closed as a bingo hall and was sold to businessman Christopher Anthony in 2007.
