Neptune Developments, the company behind proposals to regenerate Lime Street, has welcomed the news that heritage campaigners have been granted permission to oppose the demolition of a historic cinema building in the area.

The firm’s managing director Steve Parry has issued a statement backing the court’s decision, claiming that it will move the dispute over the fate of the Futurist towards a final resolution.

The Court of Appeal has given SAVE Britain’s Heritage the green light to appeal against plans to bulldoze the Futurist, a 1912-built picturehouse that is currently derelict and declared structurally unsafe, along with 10 other buildings on the site.

Steve says: “We are pleased that there will now be a rolled-up hearing that will deal with all the legal and substantive issues concerning the original planning application.

“The Court’s decision reflects the importance of the project and the need for a speedy and definitive decision.”

Planning permission for the demolition of the cinema was granted by Liverpool City Council in 2015, but SAVE has challenged the decision on heritage grounds and a petition to retain the building has attracted more than 4,000 signatures.

However, structural engineers have since cast doubt on the possibility of the Futurist being saved after agreeing that the former cinema is at risk of collapse.

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