Calls for Coronet at E&C to be given listed building status

The Theatres Trust has included The Coronet on its theatres at risk register for a second year running and has now written to English Heritage asking for the building to be given grade II listed status because of its Art Deco interior.

The Elephant & Castle Theatre occupied the site on New Kent Road from 1872 and the current 1932 structure incorporates elements of an 1879 building.

The building was used as a theatre until 1928 and remained open as a cinema until 1999. For the past decade it has operated as a nightclub and music venue.

This summer the venue's owners launched a campaign calling on Southwark Council to safeguard the building's future when the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre is redeveloped by its new owners Delancey.

So far nearly 4,000 people have signed a 'Save the Coronet' petition.

Now the Walworth Society has added its voice to calls for the building to be listed.

"The building is remarkable for the fact that it both survives and is flourishing currently as the Coronet as a cultural hub and a local community resource as a venue for live music and entertainment," wrote chairman Jeremy Leach.

"This is a core element that is needed in a redeveloped Elephant & Castle if the area is to succeed as a credible town centre with a greater appeal than as a location purely for shopping and as a transport interchange."

The Green Party's Darren Johnson AM has also written to English Heritage in support of the listing application.

He wrote: "I recently visited the Coronet and was given a tour of this incredible, atmospheric Victorian theatre and had a chance to learn about its distinctive architectural features.

"The main 1930s Art Deco auditorium, proscenium, decorative features and plasterwork are highly impressive and make for a unique performance space."

Mr Johnson added: "I strongly believe that the Coronet is a great asset to Elephant & Castle that should be preserved and incorporated into any regeneration plans for the area as one of the few surviving historic buildings in the area."