cinema manchester england located road manchester opened cinema open britain 1930s cinemas increasingly popular cinemas manchester peak road outside hit small bomb second world war cinema showing films time survived minor damage war television led decline cinema cinemas remained manchester closed july making longest running cinema england building bad state repair threatened demolition heritage groups won stay execution cinema demolished spring replacement building planned site history cinema opened cinema open britain time closure longest running cinema country original single screen auditorium fitted seats cinema screens advent resident female cinema pianist conductor sir played piano accompany silent films went play coronation street resident pianist 1930s popularity new picture houses grew rapidly manchester peak people visited times week cinema going seen social ill time school teachers complained pupils spending time cinema regular movie cinema 1920s local boy went oscar winning actor small bomb fell road cinema night october cinema time screening daughter survived minor damage close weeks repairs completed war popularity cinemas waned people acquired cinemas left manchester threatened closure owner time died purchased kept cinema open july closed competition new cinema nearby closure redevelopment cinema closed purchased attempts turn building pub rejected council twice initial planning application subsequent appeal application denied new food drink town development plan building purchased applied planning permission december demolish cinema ground floor shops flats upper floors plans withdrawn seen site site purchased property developer runs purchased site regarded far gone decided demolished new building constructed place campaign save building started actor comedian ended failure years later realised existing building cost million building retained number original features including gold seats wall ceiling roses fabric building remained poor state repair january announced building demolished erected preparation building considered iconic manchester regarded interesting demolished spring pair stone piers building grade listed remain replacement building plans new building site gone generations design consisted storey building including basement large shop ground floor underground car park floors residential apartments level hold building mechanics floor square feet leaning tower building design given planning permission revised design turned floor area arts venue cinema music auditorium conference room people new plans cost new design deemed second design consisted storey building large ground floor shop storey car park floors flats half metre height previous design include tower plan initially rejected council subsequently approved april rejected later applications site rejected particularly concerns parking site vacant june
Cine City, Withington