A heritage group has won a victory in the Court of Appeal in it’s bid to protect the frontage of the Futurist cinema from demolition.
Liverpool City Council had said the front of the of the 1912 Futurist building on Lime Street was in danger of imminent collapse and as such placed scaffolding on the building.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage won a court victory against the city council.
Those backing the redevelopment of Lime Street , including the city council, have pointed to independent surveys stating the Futurist, including its frontage, is too derelict to repair.
A Court of Appeal hearing was successfully argued that there were alternative means of safeguarding the frontage.
Lord Justice Lindblom was not convinved that there was an imminent risk to public safety and instead accepted SAVE’s argument that demolition proposed by the council could trigger a collapse of the whole building, along with surrounding buildings.
The judge also accepted the alternative scheme for stabilising the façade set out by the campaign group.
A council spokesman said: “Public safety is our absolute top priority and we are doing everything we can to make the façade of the Futurist safe as quickly as possible.
“The judge accepted that public safety had to be our paramount concern and agreed with us that there was an imminent risk to the building.
“Urgent works are necessary and we are now considering how best to protect public safety whilst complying with our commitment to carry out the minimal works necessary, whilst preserving the materials where possible.”