Historic cinema faces demolition after bids fail to make final cut

THE future of Edinburgh's historic Odeon building has been thrown into doubt after its owner revealed it had rejected three new bids for the run-down site.

Duddingston House Properties said it failed to attract an offer of even half the 3 million it claims the B-listed building is worth. Now the property firm is to resubmit a previous scheme, turned down by the Scottish Government in the wake of a high-profile campaign, which involves the demolition of the celebrated original auditorium.

Critics claim the company, which has owned the premises for the last eight years, has over-valued the site in the face of the economic downturn and is determined to press ahead with its own plans.

But Duddingston insists its plans should now be approved as it has made every effort to find an alternative use for the building which dates back to 1930 and for years was the venue for the Edinburgh International Film Festival's gala premieres.

Historic Scotland - which objected to the firm's previous plans to create an "arts hotel", while retaining its famous art deco facade and foyer - yesterday insisted the developer would have to go through the whole planning process again.

Opponents claim Duddingston has inflated the value of the site, on South Clerk Street, in a bid to revive its own plans.

Community activists launched a new campaign last week calling for the city council to begin moves to step in to secure the future of the building.

But Duddingston said it hoped resubmitted plans would be looked on "favourably" by the council and Historic Scotland.

It cited independent research from property agents Colliers, insisting it updated the valuation of the building in September of last year, just before it was put up for sale.

The most high-profile bid came in from the New Victoria Centre Trust, which proposed creating a multi-purpose arts venue for live music, films and theatre.

Sarah Colquhoun, operations director of the New Victoria Centre Trust, said: "We felt the valuation Duddingston put on the building was too high bearing in mind the current state of the property market in Edinburgh, the condition the building is now in, and the amount of work that is required on it."

Bruce Hare, Duddingston director, said: "The (Scottish Government) reporter's final comment was that it remained possible that our proposal for an arts hotel could represent the best opportunity for the former Odeon cinema to be brought back into use.That now looks likely to be the case.

"Fifteen months on every avenue has been explored so we have applied for the final consent necessary for our scheme.

"We hope that this will be looked on favourably by the city council and by Historic Scotland, both of whom have been fully involved in the re-marketing of the building."

A spokesman for the city council said: "Duddingston House Properties have not yet resubmitted a planning application for the former Odeon cinema but, should they do so, it would be dealt with through the normal planning process."

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said: "We will continue to advise the local authority on any application that it receives for the Odeon."