Council takes action to secure flagship building

Lancaster City Council has stepped in to make a Grade II listed building secure and weathertight after legal notices demanding action were repeatedly ignored.

Council contractors moved in to install shutters and board up openings on the Alexandra Hall at the top of Penny Street in Lancaster.

The property, which was built in 1902 and is known to many as the former Revolution Bar, has been empty since 2014.

Urgent Work Notices had been issued asking the owner to take specific steps to make the building watertight after a number of windows were unlawfully removed. Despite this, and numerous further requests and enforcement notices, the building was left insecure and at risk of dilapidation.

The council will now seek to recover the costs associated with carrying out the works.

Councillor Sandra Thornberry, chair of the council’s planning committee, said: "Alexandra Hall is a listed building and the gateway to Lancaster from the south. “By removing the windows and leaving the interior open to the elements, the building was at real risk of serious decay, particularly with winter coming soon.

"Property owners, particularly those of listed and historic buildings, have a duty to maintain their buildings. This case should send out a strong message that the council will step in, if necessary, where they fail to live up to this duty, and seek to recover the costs.”

Last updated: 03 November 2023