Luke Pollard standing outside the Palace Theatre
Luke Pollard standing outside the Palace Theatre
  • Luke Pollard publishes 2024 Buildings at Risk List for Plymouth
  • The Merchant’s House added to 2024 at risk list; Palace Theatre remains top concern.
  • MP calls on historic building owners to help “reclaim pride in Plymouth’s built heritage”
Luke Pollard has re-issued his challenge to the property owners of Plymouth’s most at-risk buildings to “invest or sell up” following the release of the 2024 edition of his annual Buildings at Risk List.
The Buildings at Risk List, launched by Pollard in 2022, aims to shine a light on historic and significant buildings in Plymouth that have fallen into disrepair or disuse.
The Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP says the list serves as a call to action for property owners to “either invest in these structures or sell them to those who will.”

Luke’s Buildings at Risk List 2024:

  1. The Palace Theatre, Union Street
  2. The Royal Fleet Club, Devonport
  3. The Pot Black Building/Mechanics Institute, Devonport
  4. Stoke Damerel High School for Girls, Devonport
  5. Pounds House, Central Park
  6. Great Western Hotel, Union Street
  7. The Cooperage, the Barbican
  8. The Phoenix Tavern, near Union Street
  9. The tidal pool, Devil’s Point
  10. The Merchant’s House, the Barbican
  • Palace Theatre
  • Royal Fleet Club
  • Pot Black Building
  • Pounds House
  • GW Hotel
  • Cooperage
  • Pheonix
  • Tidal Pool
  • Merchant's House
    Following feedback submitted by councillors and local residents, the Merchant’s House has been added as the one new addition to this year’s 2024 at risk list. For a third year in a row, the Palace Theatre was cited as the top building of concern by members of the public.
    One building highlighted in Luke’s 2023 Buildings at Risk List have been removed from this year’s list, with progress being made to secure funding for the redevelopment of the iconic Civic Centre building in Plymouth city centre.
    Pollard plans to republish his Buildings at Risk List on an annual basis until the rest of Plymouth’s historic buildings are brought back to life.
    Luke Pollard, Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said:
    “I started my Buildings at Risk List to shine a light on the iconic buildings in our city that have fallen into disrepair. Plymouth’s streets are bursting with history and these buildings help to tell our story and we must reclaim pride in our built heritage.
     
    “A number of buildings on previous lists have seen the investment they deserve thanks to efforts to pressure owners to drive improvements, but there are still too many iconic buildings in our city that have been left to rot.
     
    “After feedback from local councillors and members of the public, I’m adding the Merchant’s House to this year’s list – not because it’s falling down but because it needs a new purpose and without a purpose this incredible old building is at risk.
     
    “As a proud Janner, I’ll keep campaigning until all of our city’s iconic buildings are brought back to life. That’s why I’m throwing down the gauntlet to the owners of our historic buildings: invest in these properties or sell up to someone who will.
    The re-use and revitalisation of existing buildings is a key pillar of Labour’s intended reforms to the planning system in government. Pollard, a vocal supporter of building thousands more homes in the city centre, touched on the possibility of Plymouth’s historic buildings being used to help meet Plymouth’s housing needs sustainably.
    Mr Pollard added:
    “Labour’s policy of ensuring community focused developments supports the ethos of my Buildings at Risk campaign. 
     
    “I want to not only preserve our historic buildings but give them a fresh purpose. Meeting the housing needs of our local communities is one potential route towards giving some of our most loved buildings a new lease of life.”
    • The Palace Theatre on Union Street was opened in 1898, originally as a Victorian-era music hall. It has also served as a nightclub, a theatre, a bingo hall, and a dance academy. It is a Grade II listed building, but has been empty for over fifteen years.
    • The Royal Fleet Club in Devonport was originally opened in 1902 as maritime accommodation. It has been empty for many years since being bought by the Church of Scientology.
    • The Pot Black Building in Devonport was founded in the 1800s as a Mechanics Institute. A Grade II listed building, it was converted into a snooker hall in 1980 but has also served as a motor taxation office as well as a public library and museum.  The building was nominated for Luke’s list by Councillor Mark Coker.
    • The Stoke Damerel High School for Girls building was constructed a century ago but has not been used as a school since 1986. It was damaged by fire in 2009. The building was nominated for Luke’s list by Councillor Sally Cresswell.
    • Pounds House in Central Park dates to the C19th, built as a luxurious villa. Luke has campaigned for the property to be re-purposed as Peverell’s library.
    • The Great Western Hotel is another historic yet disused property on Union Street. There are around fifteen large empty buildings on the street, totalling around a quarter of the land there.
    • The Cooperage on the Barbican was originally built as a barrel-making facility in 1800, but more recently served as one of Plymouth’s premier live music venues.
    • The Phoenix Tavern, just off Union Street, has been shut since it lost its licence in 2010. In 2019 fire crews were dispatched to the building after it caught fire.
    • The tidal pool at Devil’s Point is a regular haunt for swimmers but has shown signs of disrepair in recent years. Work is planned to repair and replace the tidal pool but is yet to get underway.
    • The Merchant’s House, which was once owned by the Mayor of Plymouth in 1601, is one of the oldest houses in the city still standing today.
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