Demolition begins at town's historic cinema

Demolition began on Thursday morning, with the mayor of Erewash being given the honour of starting the work

The demolition of a former cinema in Long Eaton has begun as part of a multimillion-pound project to rejuvenate the town.

The Galaxy Row cinema on Derby Road, which opened in 1907, has been derelict for more than a decade.

The building, and a former nightclub next door, will be replaced by 20 homes and space for businesses.

The chairman of Long Eaton's Town Board, Richard Ledger, said it would be a "fabulous" addition to the town centre.

Much-needed homes

The scheme is part of Long Eaton's £25m town deal, which was announced in 2021 and will see several regeneration projects funded by the government.

Other elements include a new footbridge over the Erewash Canal and the remodelling of the town's high street.

The new housing at Galaxy Row will be provided by Tuntum Housing Association.

Its chief executive, Charmaine Simei, said they were "incredibly proud" to be involved.

She said the project would "bring this long-derelict site back into action and bring some much-needed homes to the area."

Charmaine Simei said the housing association was pleased to bring the site back into use

Mr Ledger said it was probably "the most visible of all the town deal projects".

He said: "The old cinema on Derby Road, Galaxy Row, has been an eyesore in the town for over a decade, and commercially it was never, ever going to get sorted out.

"It needed something like the Town Deal to come along so we could address this problem.

"What was a derelict cinema is going to be a fabulous housing right in the town centre, with affordable housing as well."

The demolition is expected to be completed by September 2025, with construction of the new building starting immediately afterwards.

Work is expected to be complete in October 2026.

An artist's impression of the completed development