Fresh hope for the cinema’s reopening arrived last year
Woolton Picture House has been closed since the pandemic(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
It has been close to five years since a film was shown at Woolton Picture House. The historic cinema has been found on Mason Street in Woolton since 1927 but its doors have been shut since the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
The cinema’s owner announced that it would close for good in July 2020, having suffered a loss of business due to the pandemic. However, it was saved from permanent closure by a GoFundMe campaign and the government’s culture recovery fund, which was designed to support arts venues during coronavirus lockdowns.
Around £24,000 was raised by the crowdfunder, while the picture house was awarded £37,809 by the culture recovery fund, which was administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The cinema, found on Mason Street in Woolton Village, said it collected £25,625 of the awarded funds.
A long period of silence and no movement followed before the owners shared a number of updates about the cinema’s future on its Facebook page throughout 2022. Targeted dates for reopening were missed and the plans did not come to fruition, as the ECHO pushed for answers to no avail.
However, last year saw the first meaningful step in the long road to reopening. In August, a planning application to renovate parts of the cinema in order to allow it to reopen was submitted to Liverpool City Council.
Submitted by Jonathan Woodward (Woolton Picture House Limited), the application intends to replace the roof covering, introduce new facilities and refurbish part of the building.
The proposal reads: “Replacement of existing roof covering with slate tiles; replace existing entrance steps with external ramp and platform with glazed balustrade; new glazing to external canopy over the main entrance; removal of services/water tank structures on flat roof; re-instate windows and main entrance doors and install new steps and provide new secondary entrance doors to the front elevation and construction of planting beds to the front and side (Mill Street) elevations; installation of four cycle parking stands to front; alterations.”
Drawings submitted as part of the application show plans to replace the roof with new slate tiles, with solar tiles on its south-facing sections. The iconic Woolton Picture House sign would be refurbished, with a glass roof installed over it. Additionally, the existing steps at the front door would be replaced with a ramp, while new planting flower beds would be placed near the entrance.
Sharing the plans on Facebook, the cinema said: “To all our valued customers. We know you have all been awaiting a further update regarding the progress of Woolton Picture House and we are appreciative of your patience.
“We have been working behind the scenes on exciting plans for Woolton Picture House. We are pleased to announce that we have recently submitted a planning application to Liverpool City Council. (Planning Ref 24F/2003).
“The application includes plans to sensitively transform Woolton Picture House into a sustainable cinema and cultural events space in the heart of Woolton Village. By making a range of enhancements and improvements to our building we plan to create a vibrant, accessible and inclusive space that may be enjoyed for many years to come.”
The plans were approved subject to conditions by the city council in October. The conditions include work beginning within the next three years and ensuring that refurbishment works are in keeping with the building’s heritage.
After years without closure, film fans in Liverpool will hope that 2025 will see movement towards returning to the beloved cinema’s red seats.
The ECHO attempted to reach the cinema for comment. An automated email reply says: “Thank you for your email. Please note this inbox is unmonitored. We apologies (sic) for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you back to Woolton Picture House soon.”