This video could be the last chance most people have of taking a walk around the former Futurist cinema before it is finally demolished.
The footage shows the badly deteriorated interior of the historic cinema on Lime Street.
The video was shot by structural engineers as they compiled a report which concluded it poses a danger to the public and requires urgent work. You can see the full video from inside The Futurist by scrolling to the bottom of the article.
The building’s “French Renaissance” style was obviously once quite grand but its current terrible state is immediately apparent in the video.
In the video, paint is seen peeling from the walls and the ceilings can be seen in a state of near collapse.
Debris covers the floors and badly corroded iron beams can be seen. When the camera ascends to higher floors daylight is revealed where parts of the roof have fallen through.
The iconic Futurist cinema was cordoned off just over a week ago because it “poses a particular risk of collapse”, according to the structural report.
The cinema has been the subject of a long-running battle between the council and developers, with heritage campaigners desperate to protect the building.
Planning permission has been given to a £35m scheme, which will see student accommodation, retail units and a hotel built on and behind the famous street, despite concerns over the loss of the historic Futurist cinema as part of the project.
Opened in 1912 and originally the Lime Street Picture House, the former cinema has a Georgian-style facade which has been the focus of much of the controversy.
The local authority is keen to see Lime Street redeveloped, but groups including SAVE Britain’s Heritage have taken plans to knock the building down through the courts over fears of the impact the proposed Neptune development would have on Liverpool’s historic city centre.
However, Mark Kitts, the council’s assistant director of regeneration, said: “The Futurist has been deteriorating for a very long time and when we bought the site a couple of years ago it was already pretty much beyond repair.
“Sadly we were unable to find a way of saving it as part of the regeneration proposals for Lime Street, and we are now at the stage where it has become a danger to public safety.”
Watch the full video exploring the inside of The Futurist
