Cinema still part of plans for former Wetherspoons

A building that was originally built as a cinema before becoming a bingo hall and later a pub could once again become a cinema.

A “community-run boutique” 20-seat cinema forms part of the ground floor plans within a scheme for 14 flats, a gym, taproom and shared workspaces.

But campaigners who want to restore the hidden picture house to its past glories are sceptical that the screen will become a reality.

The former St George’s Hall pub on Church Road in Redfield has been closed since September 2021, with developers urging the city council to approve their scheme “without delay”.

Writing to Bristol City Council’s development management service manager, Gary Collins, development consultant Chris Dance said: “This scheme provides a tremendous opportunity to bring forward the regeneration of this previously developed (brownfield) site in a manner that will benefit the Church Road, Redfield locality together with the material benefit of bringing forward beneficial new Cluster Unit (Sui Generis) accommodation in a highly sustainable location together with a complementary range of associated social and commercial facilities.

“Given these positive credentials I would urge you to approve this application submission without delay.”

The St George’s Hall pub closed in September 2021 – photo: Martin Booth

On behalf of Lawrence Hill-based Landrose, Dance said that “the ethos of the scheme is to create a holistic living environment whereby this nature of accommodation will be perfect for occupants who wish to live near to the city centre, and the co-working floorspace and gym will provide complementary facilities that will benefit the health and social well-being of the occupiers above”.

However, members of the Save Redfield Cinema group, says that they think Landrose’s plans for the cinema are “illustrative only and we believe that there is no funding or business plan in place to make this illustration a reality”.

They added: “Even if funding were somehow secured to build this boutique cinema, we have seen no evidence that such a model could be financially viable whilst retaining affordable ticket prices.

“In no way does it represent the vision that we have been working towards or the one we put to council, either in terms of viability or community engagement.”

The proposed commercial space on the ground floor of the former St George’s Hall pub, featuring a boutique cinema and taproom – image: Oxford Architects

More than 9,000 people have now signed a petition urging the city council to save the largely intact art deco cinema that was hidden above the Wetherspoons pub on the border of Redfield and St George.

An art deco frieze runs all the way over the ceiling, at least 130 original balcony seats remain, and there is a large open space in front of the screen that used to belong to the organist and stall seating.

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St George’s Hall Electric Palace opened in 1912, with the cinema extended and renamed St George’s Picture House in 1927, before becoming the Granada in 1935.

It closed in 1961, becoming a bingo hall for around three decades. The foyer area of the site opened as a Wetherspoons pub, St George’s Hall, in 1998.

“The space has not had chance to succeed as a cinema for 60 years,” says the petition.

“We believe this is a huge opportunity for local people to have a community cinema and for the city to preserve a real cultural treasure. To demolish it would be a tremendous waste.”

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: The former cinema above a pub that could be brought back to life

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