Still Unresolved

The former cinema on Bath Street remains in the dilapidated state it has been in since it changed hands several years ago. Bought by a local building firm who wanted to make it into flats but hadn’t sorted out the planning permission for what is a listed building in advance, it has been in a state of limbo for some time now. At least two requests for permission to demolish much of the building and rebuild have been refused but the builders continue to hang in there, hoping that things will turn around and they can make the money they hoped for by building flats. A group who want to restore the building and keep it as a community space - cinema plus other uses - reputedly have the financial backing of a wealthy local resident but they haven’t been able to persuade the builders to sell and the building’s physical decline continues. Are the current owners doing enough to maintain it or should they be allowed to redevelop into flats?