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Search the Public Notice PortalCalls have been made for the owners of a historic Bridgwater cinema building to take action after its condition "deteriorated".
Somerset Council has called on the owners of the historic former Scott Cinema and adjacent buildings in Penel Orlieu to take action "as a matter of urgency" amid reports that squatters have moved in.
As of May 14, Somerset County Council has placed notices directed to the two owners, Corporate Relating Ltd and Sage Business Services Ltd, stating that the building "has deteriorated and is now in a worse condition".
The council also believes that the building is now "likely to constitute a danger to the public".
The notice refers to the "rotten decking and joists in the canopy above the public walkway". The council notice instructs the owners to "take immediate steps to render the structures safe", and inform the council officer of their intention to action works.
Meanwhile, squatters appear to have moved in to one of the buildings, posting a public notice detailing their intention to occupy the space. The Bridgwater Mercury has been unable to contact the individuals now living in the building for comment.
The Penel Orlieu cinema first opened as The Odeon on July 13, 1936. It had more than 1,500 seats and was designed by a renowned architect, T. Cecil Howitt. The cinema was purchased by Classic Cinemas in the late 1960s, who separated the building into a stalls area for bingo and the circle for two screens.
Scott Cinemas operated at the site from 1983 until closing in 2022, when they relocated to Northgate Yard. Mecca Bingo at the site also closed the same year, after nearly 50 years entertaining Bridgwater patrons.
Somerset Council has advised that as of the end of May, it has not received a response from the building owners. The Bridgwater Mercury was unable to contact Sage Business Services Ltd for comment, and received no response to our enquires from Corporate Relating Ltd.
Councillor Tim Mander, chair of Bridgwater Town Council's planning committee, said that the buildings are "iconic" to Bridgwater and need to be protected and brought back into public use.
He said: "It's a concern to residents and it's a concern to the town council. It appears that the building's owners have been very difficult to engage with. So we'd like some more activity here.
"We'd like to have action taken to at least make safe the building, if not actually look at a longer term solution for it."
He added that the council has "become increasingly concerned about the structural stability of the building, particularly the awning, which a lot of people walk under. And obviously that is a huge worry because there's a potential danger. We want to protect the public at all costs."
Mr Mander said the council was hoping to undertake a feasibility study to look at different options for the building in the long term, and consult the local community.
There have been previous suggestions to bring the buildings back into use, including a Primark, a music venue or affordable accommodation - but so far none have come to fruition.
A Somerset Council spokesperson said: "Building control have on numerous occasions tried to contact the building owners via the usual lines of correspondence.
"There are conflicting reports as to who owns the building, that is why two companies have been contacted.
"The Section 77 (Building Act 1984) letters have been posted on the building as a last resort as no response has been received. The next stage is to further pursue the Section 77 Notice (Building Act 1984) with support from the council’s legal department."
