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Clerk Street
Odeon Cinema |
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Background
1929 to 2003
A variety of shops, courtyards and buildings up
to five storeys high were demolished in 1929 to allow this cinema to be
built.
An art deco cinema, The New Victoria, was
built on the site and opened on August 25, 1930.
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The cinema was renamed,
The Odeon, in 1964 but closed in 2003.
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Please click on one of the thumbnail images above
to read more about the history of the cinema. |
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Update: January 2006
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1. Housing Complex?
2. Music Venue?
The
cinema was sold to Duddingston House Properties. They
originally planned to convert it to 240-room student housing complex with
a bar and restaurant but have now withdrawn their plans following protests
from community leaders, councillors, heritage watchdogs and the Edinburgh
International Film Festival.
Duddingston House Properties now plan to convert the cinema into a live
music venue and nightclub. The Secretary of the Southside Community
Council has expressed concern over this latest proposal.
However the developers will attempt, on January
16 2006, to obtain a licence to allow the building to remain open daily
until 3am and to operate as a "concert hall or discotheque".
Evening News January
11, 2006: p.11 |
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Update: December 2006
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3. Boutique Cinema?
4. Budget Hotel?
The plans to convert 'The Odeon' to a live
music venue and nightclub were thrown out earlier this year by the city's
licensing board.
So Duddingston House Properties entered into
talks with a consortium led by property consultant and developer, Dale
Gibson, with a view to creating a 'boutique cinema' in the building.
However, after several months' of discussions, no agreement has been
reached.
So Duddingston House Properties, owners of 'The
Odeon' plan to speak to the council in early 2007 with a view to
submitting an application to convert the cinema into a budget hotel with a
licensed cafe-bar or restaurant facing on to South Clerk Street.
Evening News December
16, 2006: p.11 |
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Update: May 2007
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1. Housing Apartments?
4. Budget Hotel?
5. Cafe/Restaurant?
There have been rumours that Duddingston House
Properties would like to sell the former cinema, but the company insists
that it has no intention to selling the building.
They
expect to retain the art deco exterior of the B-listed building and to
seek permission to demolish the interior and create a budget hotel or
apartment complex with cafe/restaurant at the front of the building.
Evening News May 31,
2007: p.21 |
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Update: June 2007
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3. Boutique Cinema?
5. Cafe/Restaurant?
6. Artists' Studios?
7. Gallery Space?
The owners of the former cinema, Duddingston
House Properties, pulled out of talks with a consortium of businessmen a
few months ago on the grounds that the consortium had insufficient
financial backing.
This
consortium had hoped to buy the building and restore it to its former
glory, opening a "boutique cinema" with artists' studios, gallery
space and an Odeon Express themed cafe-bar.
However,
the consortium is still in place, and is keen to re-open discussions.
Duddingston House Properties say they are still more than happy to speak
to the consortium about the building if the consortium has a serious
proposition to discuss.
Evening News June 5, 2007: p.10. |
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Update: August 2007
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For Sale
Duddingston House Properties, owners of the
former Odeon Cinema are now putting the old cinema up for sale. This
is a B-listed property that is expected to be marketed for offers over
£3.5m. Duddingston House Properties paid £2m for the property in
2003.
The present owners have encountered problems in
seeking permission to develop this property.
Perhaps this will provide further opportunities
for the consortium wishing to convert the cinema into an Arts
Centre. This consortium includes Graham Wear, a former manager of the
Odeon and Andy Lyst, a former manager of the Playhouse.
This raises hopes that the consortium
Evening News August 16, 2007: p.8 |
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Update:
March 2009
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Campaign to save the Cinema
Current plans are for Duddingston House
Properties, owners of the former Odeon Cinema, to convert the building
into a 231-bedroom hotel, artists' studios and restaurant. These
plans have been approved by the city council, but are awaiting listed
building consent from Historic Scotland.
The company intends to preserve the facade and
entrance foyer, but not the remainder of the building.
A campaign has been organised in an attempt to
save the cinema. Edinburgh-born Ewan Bremner, who played Spud in
Trainspotting, has become the latest celebrity to sign the petition.
Other actors who have campaigned to save The
Odeon, since it closed in 2003, include Sean Connery, Brian Cox, James
Cosmo, and Dougray Scott.
Evening News March 27, 2009: p.4. |
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Update: April 2009
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Campaign attracts more Signatures
More than 4,600 people have now signed the
campaign to save The Odeon. Historic Scotland has recommended a
public inquiry and is expected to make a recommendation to the Scottish
Government this week.
Campaigners claim that the owners, Duddingston
House Properties, have not fully investigated whether or not the cinema
might have a viable future if it were to retain its auditorium.
Campaigners hope to raise enough money to allow
them to run the building as a cinema, film library and cafe.
Evening News April 24,
2009: p.23. |
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Update: June 2009
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Inquiry Ordered
Following a campaign against Edinburgh Council's
decision to allow The Odeon to be developed as a 231-bedroom hotel,
retaining only its facade and foyer, the Scottish Government's Culture
Minister, Mike Russell, has ordered an inquiry into plans to convert the
cinema.
Evening News June 4, 2009, 2007: p.23. |
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Update:
November 2009
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Inquiry Ordered
Campaigners are insisting that more should be
done to protect the Odeon, following an incident last weekend when vandals
kicked in the back door of the cinema and smashed a statue.
The owners of the cinema, Duddingston House
Properties who bought the site six years ago wish to demolish part of the
cinema and create a boutique hotel, but following public opposition to
these plans, the Scottish Government is now reviewing the case.
Evening News Nov 4,
2009, p.21. |
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Update:
February 2010
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Campaign
Chris Humphries wrote that he was interested in
the campaign to try to save the Odeon building. He would like to
contact the campaigners and offer his support, but does not know how to
contact them.
Questions
I don't know how to contact the campaigners
either; and don't know if the campaign is still continuing.
Do you know the answer to these questions?
If so,
please email me, then I'll pass on your message to Chris.
Thank you.
Peter Stubbs:
March 14, 2010
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Update: March 2010 |
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Thank you to Simon Howarth for letting me know
that he had contacted George Foulkes MSP to enquire about the Odeon.
George Foulkes asked this question in the Scottish Parliament.
Question
March 16, 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive what the reason is for the time it
has taken to consider the reporter’s report on the listed building status
of the Odeon Cinema in Clerk Street in Edinburgh and when it will announce
its decision."
Answered by Stewart Stevenson
March 24, 2010
"Due to the complex nature of the issues involved
which require very careful consideration it has not been possible to reach
a decision within the three month target period.
Whilst any delay in dealing with this cases is regretted it is not
possible to say, at this stage, when a final decision will be made."
Peter Stubbs: April 15,
2010
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Update: April 2010 |
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Thank you to Tom Pate who wrote about the
campaign to save 'The Odeon'.
Tom wrote:
"Yes, the campaign is very
much alive and kicking. I am one of the organisers."
Tom Pate: April 15, 2010 |
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Thank you also to Simon Howarth for for writing
again to give me the web site address of the site that includes the
petition to save the Odeon.
Acknowledgement: Simon
Howarth: April 21, 2010
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Update: February 2011 |
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Petition
Thank you to Bill Brady for passing on a message
from Karen Sherwood, appealing for people to help by signing a
petition to
save the Odeon Cinema.
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Karen's message began:
The Odeon
"Veteran
Edinburghers will remember this beautiful building as the old Odeon Cinema
and may even have fond memories of cheap Thursday tickets (£2- if you can
believe it!).
It has been years and years since the building
has been in use and has sat, wasting away. Unfortunately, as many of the
community believed would eventually happen, the
powers-that-be-The-Edinburgh-Council, in their infinite wisdom, have
decided to demolish a building of cultural and historical significance and
replace it with...a hotel (ta dum) ..."
Dr Karen Sherwood, University of Edinburgh |
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Bill Brady added:
"I don't know why the council don't buy
the Odeon and convert it into a live entertainment venue, and get rid of
the awful Queens Hall."
Bill Brady: February 25, 2011
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