Cinema demolition project stumbling block cleared

The Galaxy Row Cinema in Long Eaton was first opened as a theatre in 1907

A major stumbling block for plans to seize, demolish and replace a derelict cinema in Derbyshire has been cleared.

Erewash Borough Council plans to redevelop the former Galaxy Row Cinema in Derby Road, Long Eaton after more than a decade of being out of use.

The building's landowner had resisted a compulsory purchase order for the site, but has now withdrawn their opposition.

The council said it could now proceed and hoped that the timeline for completion may be significantly reduced.

The former venue, which opened in 1907, is set to be redeveloped as part of a wider project using £25m of government funding to be spent by March 2026.

According to council plans, the building will be replaced with 16 flats, four houses and three shops.

During a meeting on Friday, Tom Haddock, head of property at the council, said the authority formally took ownership of the former cinema on Monday and had building inspections on Thursday.

As it stands, the project is due for completion by May 2027, more than a year after the government funding for the scheme has to be spent, with no indication yet of any extension agreements.

Aside from the cinema scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council was also behind schedule on a number of other schemes, with its High Street upgrade project also due to be completed outside the funding window - in July 2026.

Erewash MP Maggie Throup said High Street scheme was the one that “concerns me the most” and called for it to start earlier or to be split into phases to ensure it would be delivered on time.

Ms Throup said business owners needed to be reassured about the project saying it would “make a significant difference and revitalise the high street and attract more footfall”.

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