THE trust which has applied to transform the front part of Derby's derelict Hippodrome theatre has hit a snag in its plans for the revamp.
Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust had called on Saqid Javid, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, to use his powers to help it take over the building. But that application has now been rejected.
The trust, which eventually wants to make the site a theatre again, has submitted an outline planning application to rebuild the former front of house area of the theatre, in Green Lane.
This would see it become a cafe, offices, meeting spaces, and exhibition area.
The plan would involve multi-million-pound funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The trust then plans to use this as a springboard to bid for more cash to make it into a 1,000-plus-seater theatre.
But, to apply for that first funding, it needs to be able to show it could take up ownership of the derelict former Hippodrome theatre, something it cannot currently do.
The trust asked Mr Javid to issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the building, which would make it possible to take ownership of the building without the current owner's consent.
That person, according to the Land Registry, is Christopher Anthony, who bought the site in 2007.
The theatre, which originally opened in 1914, was damaged in 2008 during work ordered by him.
Had the CPO request been successful, Mr Anthony would still have been able to appeal against the decision. But it would have been a step towards the trust being able to take over the building.
Trust director Peter Steer said his organisation "wasn't disappointed as in some ways the decision was anticipated".
He said: "We are now talking to our barrister about what or what might not be done with the decision from the Secretary of State and one or two other options."
Mr Steer said that, had the CPO been granted, "under normal circumstances", Mr Javid would have instructed Derby City Council to "open negotiations" for the compulsory purchase of the building.
He said that, once bought by the authority, there could have been a deal struck for the trust to take over the building on a long lease, enabling it to carry out its revamp work.
The authority says it has no intention of spending any more cash on the former theatre because of the way cuts to its grants from the Government have affected its budget.
A letter from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, said of its decision not to issue a CPO: "The view is that a building listed at grade two, that meets the criteria for compulsory purchase to ensure its preservation, is most appropriately a consideration for the local authority [Derby City Council].
"The authority is best placed to evaluate the viability of proposals for a building's restoration."
