A quest to rid an Erewash town of a major eyesore has taken a giant leap forward – with an announcement by the borough council that it has bought Long Eaton’s derelict Galaxy cinema.
The news – which follows painstaking negotiations – avoids a long drawn-out compulsory purchase as the authority drives forward levelling-up investment of £25million in the town.
The council revealed it has also acquired the former Stage One nightclub – clearing the way for a wholesale regeneration of what is known as Galaxy Row.
Both buildings are poised to be bulldozed as part of Long Eaton’s “Town Deal” – which is cash that Erewash Borough Council helped secure from the government.
The demolitions will see smart new homes and commercial units built on the prominent Derby Road site. The plan is for three business premises plus 16 flats and four townhouses. There will be 28 parking spaces, which will be accessed from Oxford Street at the rear of the development. The council is currently actively seeking a development partner for the scheme. The decrepit cinema has blighted Long Eaton since closing more than a decade ago.
Planners said: “No proposals for re-use have come forward in ten years. It does not lend itself to a conversion to an alternative use. Given the apparent lack of developer interest and limitations of the former cinema for its reuse and the poor current appearance of the building, the loss of the building is considered acceptable.”
A massive £10million refurbishment of the High Street is looming.
Richard Ledger, who is chairman of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, welcomed the purchase of the cinema and nightclub. The local businessman, who studied physics with Stephen Hawking at Cambridge, said: “Long Eaton will be reinvigorated under the Town Deal – becoming an increasingly vibrant place to live and work. I would like to thank not only the council but also the people of Long Eaton who along with local businesses have been backing the campaign to unleash the town’s potential.”
Speaking about the acquisitions, Erewash borough councillor Curtis Howard, who is also Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “This is a vital step toward finally getting spades in the ground on one of our most important levelling-up projects. Once completed, the new Galaxy Row development will provide new and modern commercial space for local businesses, and much needed, high-quality new homes.
“With this and proposals for the £10million High Street upgrade now well underway, we are ambitious for the future of Long Eaton town centre. This proves it.”