Campaigners welcome Torquay Pavilion's 'at risk' listing

'Today is the day our campaign goes national'

The Pavilion at Torquay has been named on a list of the 10 most endangered buildings in the country.

The listing by the Victorian Society means the former theatre and ice rink where Agatha Christie was once a regular patron is ‘at real risk of being lost if action is not taken’.

Torbay Council has recently taken back the lease on the building from long-term tenants MDL, and has begun a project to repair and restore the crumbling structure.

The Pavilion has been falling into disrepair since it closed as a shopping centre more than a decade ago. The building is damp and broken windows have allowed vandals and intruders to get in. Conservation campaigners threatened the council with legal action if it didn't take steps to protect the building.

Now council teams are inside it, working to prevent further damage and developing a detailed restoration plan.

The Victorian Society, whose president is actor Griff Rhys Jones, described the Pavilion as ‘an exquisite art nouveau pavilion where Agatha Christie was engaged’. Mr Rhys Jones said the top 10, which includes a former hotel, a cemetery chapel and a water tower in locations across England and Wales, featured ‘the toppermost buildings’ that demonstrated the imagination and commitment of the Victorians.

He said: “All are monuments to their makers. All have glorious qualities, character and important past stories to tell and all are in a sad state of neglect.”

News of the Top Ten listing has been hailed as a ‘national breakthrough’ by members of the Save Torquay Pavilion group. In a statement the group said: “Today is the day our campaign goes national.

“The focus now is on getting the building restored as soon as possible and the initial works to enable this are under way. We are absolutely determined to keep the Pavilion in the spotlight.

“Only 10 outstanding examples of heritage buildings at risk are chosen for the list each year and all receive massive publicity. It will also increase the chances of securing the shortfall funding needed for full restoration.”

Torbay Council’s deputy leader Chris Lewis recently outlined the council’s plans for the building, which has been suggested as a possible home for an Agatha Christie heritage attraction.

He said: “We are determined to solve the problem of the Pavilion. It has been empty and derelict for too long. 

He said it would take around a year for the full reports to be prepared on what needs to be done, and added: “The Pavilion is the jewel in the crown of Torquay. We need to get it back to its former glory.”