Cinema campaigner upset over failed listing bid

A campaigner has said he is "incredibly disappointed" after a fight to get listed status for the UK's oldest working cinema failed.

The Electric in Birmingham, which first opened in 1909, was suddenly closed in 2024, to the disappointment of film fans.

In a bid to protect its future, campaigners applied to Historic England for the building, in Station Street, to be listed.

However, the body refused their request, finding that any historical interest into the building was at a local, rather than national level.

The report, published on Tuesday, found the history and the story of the Electric Cinema was what gave it its "real value" rather than its architecture, which is what listing status is based on.

Campaigner Darren John said: "It's incredibly disappointing and we're looking into what the next steps are and what we can do from here."

Mr John was part of a group that applied for listed status, which would have meant special consent needed be obtained before any changes were made that might have affected the building's architecture.

However, the body concluded that, while the building was a blend of many periods of architecture, none of the elements survived "well enough or is of sufficient quality to merit listing".

Mr John said he found the conclusion "strange".

"I don't understand how you can have the UK's oldest working cinema and it not be of national importance," he said.

"It seems a very, very strange statement to make.

"It's a commercial building, so it sets a dangerous precedent for other cultural buildings if they can't make changes, because it will put their future listing status at risk."

In a statement, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which sponsors Historic England, said: "After considering all the evidence presented, it was decided that the Electric Cinema venue in Birmingham did not meet the criteria for listing."

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