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REVISED PLANNING APPLICATIONS REQUIRE YOUR FRESH OBJECTIONS
Dear Friend Of The Bradford Odeon
After such a long period of silence the Odeon has become a hot topic yet
again… and your help is needed more than ever!
REVISED PLANNING APPLICATIONS REQUIRE YOUR FRESH OBJECTIONS
***Full links on the main BORG website***
You will recall that we asked you to object last year to the two planning applications that involve the demolition of the Odeon
(with Conservation Area Consent) and the construction of New Victoria
Place. Thankfully many people did just that with about a thousand
objections appearing on the Planners website in response. You’ve probably
seen in the local news recently that the developers have submitted a
revised design for New Victoria Place.
Please take with a pinch of salt the assurance from the Jacobs Well spokesman in the
Telegraph & Argus that all previously submitted objections will be
considered. Your previous objection may well be considered, but it may also be ultimately disregarded because it will be suggested that the developers had responded to your earlier criticism by changing the design. Therefore it is vital that you object to the two planning applications afresh on the following grounds…
08/06391/FUL - Construction Of New Victoria Place
* Langtree Artisan have publicly stated they do not have the funding for
the construction, so there is a real risk of another Westfield situation
* This 4th design bears no resemblance to what the public were "consulted"
with in May 2006 (nor the 2nd or 3rd design incarnations that followed!),
so the Design Competition needs to start again from scratch
* The revised plan is still architecturally inferior to the existing Odeon
building
* Several key consultees (eg - Theatres Trust, C20 Society, Bradford Civic
Society) oppose the proposed NVP
* The visual relationship between the Odeon and the Alhambra must be
maintained
* The design of the revised NVP is not contextual, and will prove to be of
detriment to the Conservation Area's streetscape
* Bradford needs to concentrate on filling existing office space in the
city centre rather than creating more of it
* There is a hotel being built across the road - we will have hotel overkill
* Princes Way/Thornton Road junction will not cope with the additional
1,350 extra employees getting into the NVP underground carpark
08/06392/CAC - Demolition Of The Odeon With Conservation Area Consent
* There is - and has never been - a structural case for demolition of the
existing building, despite regeneration chiefs' false claims
* A 2008 structural survey (Ramboll Whitbybird) and a 2009 Heritage
Statement (Spawforths) suggest retention of the existing building is
possible, with financials involved
* The Odeon is still an undeniable landmark building, contributing to the
Conservation Area streetscape
* The visual relationship between the Odeon and the Alhambra must not be
maintained
* There has been a consistent and strong public support for the building's
retention... and an alternate scheme put forward by BORG
* Several key consultees (eg - Theatres Trust, C20 Society, Bradford Civic
Society) oppose the demolition plans
* Bradford requires a world-class concert venue (not an arena) according
to a 2005 council-based feasibility study, and the Odeon can be that
building
* The English Heritage u-turn is far from convincing, and is based on
opinion rather than structural evidence that the Odeon should be
demolished
* There has been a deliberate neglect on the part of Yorkshire Forward to
cultivate a poor exterior impression to push a demolition argument... with
no clear intervention from Bradford Council or English Heritage, despite
both bodies being aware for several years
You will find direct links to both planning applications on the planners
website if you look on BORG’s homepage at
www.bradfordodeonrescuegroup.co.uk . Alternatively you can send in letters
of objection to the case officer:
Stewart Currie
3rd Floor.
Jacobs Well
Bradford
BD1 5RW
The “official” deadline for objections is Friday August 21st 2009, but
your representations will still be accepted right up until the decision
meeting on the planning applications which is expected in September.
Please take a few minutes to do this once again for the Odeon and the sake of our city centre… it is so crucial we drive the message home once and for all that the demolition of the Odeon is not the best thing for
Bradford. Thank you.
I think I’ve pounded you with enough information for now! Thanks for your
continued support… Keep on keeping on, as they say!
Regards
Mark Nicholson (BORG)
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