SELECTED SCOTTISH PRESS RELEASES

Govanhill Picture House, Glasgow

The exceptionally rare Egyptian style Govanhill Picture House in Glasgow is set to be largely demolished by developers trying to maximise on the Category B listed cinema land value.

BBC Scotland's main evening TV news program, Reporting Scotland, and the Radio Scotland Newsdrive radio news program, featured a 3 minute story about the Govanhill on 28th November 2006, with interviews with CTA Scotland, the Scottish Civic Trust, and the developer, Hanison Homes.

Conservation groups today claimed a rare Egyptian-style cinema in Glasgow would be "completely ruined" if a developer is allowed to convert it into flats. Govanhill Picture House, which opened in 1926, is one of only five cinemas in the world built in the unique Arabian fashion and is the only one of its kind in Scotland. But Hanison Estates, based in Cathcart, want to create a five-storey development of 43 flats at the site and their revised planning application will shortly be considered by Glasgow City Council. Graeme Murray in the Glasgow Evening Times, 21st November 2006

Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh

The 1914 Edinburgh Cameo has been upgraded to a Category B listed cinema by Historic Scotland, thanks to pressure from the CTA.

Selection of Resulting Coverage:

"The Cameo is one of the main cinemas used during the ongoing Edinburgh International Film Festival, which is already without a flagship venue for gala premieres since the closure of the Odeon on South Clerk Street, several years ago. The Cinema Theatre Association had urged Historic Scotland to intervene when it emerged the Cameo was being put on the open market. The campaigning organisation said the cinema was "effectively unprotected". Now Historic Scotland has agreed to raise the entire listing of the tenement block to grade-B level, meaning that the agency would have to have approval over any major redevelopment plans. Historic Scotland is also able to recommend the Scottish Executive "call-in" a contentious planning application." Brian Ferguson in the Edinburgh Evening News, 21 September 2006 [Full story]

A historic Edinburgh cinema has been safeguarded for future generations after a 10-month struggle. The Cameo cinema faced the threat of redevelopment but Historic Scotland has now listed the cinema. Experts said the preservation of the site was triggered by the importance of the venues fine Edwardian interior. The cinema itself is located within a tenement block with the auditorium filling part of the buildings back court. Gordon Barr of the Cinema Theatre Association has been campaigning to save the cinema. He said: "The Cameo is a rarity both in terms of Scottish architecture, and nationwide. This back-court type cinema used to be a typical feature of Scottish towns between the wars but now has all but disappeared." From BBC News website on 19 September 2006 [Full Story]

"Sadly, a buildings interior isnt always enough to ensure its protection against the creeping threat of developers. Edinburghs Cameo Cinema has a dreary façade, which disguises an Italian Renaissance interior to gladden the heart, and this has been its salvation. After a 10-month struggle, it has been awarded a Category B listing by Historic Scotland, meaning that the interior with its cornices and draped figures will be saved for posterity. The Cinema Theatre Association was delighted with this landmark decision." Tessa Reading in Country Life, 28 September 2006

There was also a radio interview with Richard Gray on 20 September 2006 on Talk 107.