A man who set up camp for a day inside a former art deco cinema that’s due to be knocked down has vowed to return to delay the demolition crews in protest at a lack of facilities in the area. Nick Haskins said he walked straight into the cinema building on Filwood Broadway in Knowle West yesterday (Monday).
It comes as the building company tasked with knocking it down and building flats in its place, began stripping out all the fixtures and fittings. The police were called as Nick, a local activist and campaigner, got into what was the projection room and then onto the roof, and broadcast a Facebook Live video pledging to stay there ‘as long as it takes’.
Nick said he was initially occupying the building to prevent it being demolished, but after spending the day inside he now understands it has to be knocked down. Now, he said he will go back in when the demolition crews return next month to highlight the dire need for more facilities for young people in the area.
Read next: Plans for 30 homes at old Filwood Broadway cinema approved by councillors
Back in 2019, developers obtained planning permission to demolish the former 1930s cinema, which turned into a bingo hall in the 1970s and has been left to decay for the past 30 years ago after it closed. But despite having that planning permission, the cinema is still standing - and only now are developers looking to demolish it, having been granted approval for what will replace it.
City planners awarded permission to 30 flats and new shop frontages on the main high street in Filwood, despite pleas from Nick at the planning committee meeting to save the building and restore it.
Nick said he spent around six hours inside the building as the demolition contractors from The Wring Group stripped out the pipes and fittings, but left because asbestos was present.
“I walked in and I walked out,” he told Bristol Live. “They called the police and I told them to return with a warrant, but they never did. I didn’t want to push it too much, but I’ll go back in there as soon as the diggers come back and try to take it down.
“My grandfather built that cinema and to be totally honest with you, having spent the day in there yesterday and seen what it’s like inside now, it’s in a really bad state and I’ve come to the conclusion that they building is quite bad now and I don’t think it can be saved.
“So yesterday was me pointing out that there’s a real need for facilities here, a swimming pool, the library, the kids need a skatepark, they literally haven’t got anything here at the moment,” he added.
Last week, the Government announced £14.5m ‘Levelling Up’ funding for Filwood Broadway, although Mr Haskins pointed out that the money is largely going to be spent on new homes, not new community facilities for the area.
Later this week, Bristol City Council is set to finalise plans to spend £4 million of council taxpayers' money on an £8 million South Bristol Youth Zone near Filwood Broadway, on land between Inns Court and the Hartcliffe Way roundabout.
Read more:
- How the Bristol 'turf war' between Hartcliffe and Knowle West is going to end
- South Bristol kids have 'never been to city centre or Suspension Bridge'
- The £8m South Bristol Youth Zone - 'world class' or 'black hole'?
- Fears over cuts to Bristol City Council youth services
- New sports facility for under-pressure part of South Bristol
- Plans for 30 homes at old Filwood Broadway cinema approved by councillors
- New images revealed for controversial £8m South Bristol youth centre
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