Former theatre on 'most endangered building' list

A former theatre and ice rink that was often visited by author Agatha Christie has been named as one of the 10 most endangered buildings in the country.

The Victorian Society lists the Pavilion at Torquay and said it was "at real risk of being lost if action is not taken".

Other buildings across England and Wales that feature in the top 10 include a former hotel, a cemetery chapel and a water tower.

Torbay Council's deputy leader Chris Lewis recently outlined the council's plans for the Pavilion - as a possible home for an Agatha Christie heritage attraction.

"We are determined to solve the problem of the Pavilion," said Mr Lewis. "It has been empty and derelict for too long."

The Pavilion has been falling into disrepair since it closed as a shopping centre more than a decade ago, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Torbay Council recently took back the lease on the building from long-term tenants MDL and it has begun a project to repair and restore the crumbling structure.

Mr Lewis said there was nothing about the Victorian Society's statement he disagreed with.

"They want to get the Pavilion done, we want to get the Pavilion done," he said.

"We need more plans to do it. The more people that can help us to do that - that's great."

Mr Lewis added it would take about a year for the full reports to be prepared on what needs to be done.

"The Pavilion is the jewel in the crown of Torquay - we need to get it back to its former glory," he added.

Morgan Ellis Leah, southern conservation adviser for the Victorian Society, said the structure was nominated locally.

"It's not something we pick," she said.

"People come in and say we have this amazing building and we don't think it's being cared for, would you mind taking a look at it."

Ms Ellis Leah said buildings were ranked on architectural and social merit and the Pavilion scored "pretty high for both".

She added: "I think we take for granted that we have these beautiful buildings and we assume that they will always be there.

"That's just not the case. They need help. There are too many greedy people who would much rather knock them down for flats."

News of the listing has been hailed as a "national breakthrough" by of the Save Torquay Pavilion group.

It said: "Today is the day our campaign goes national.

"The focus now is on getting the building restored as soon as possible and the initial works to enable this are under way.

"We are absolutely determined to keep the Pavilion in the spotlight."

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