Glenbrook is the long leaseholder for 43-45, 47, 51-55 Station Street, including the corresponding frontages on Hinckley Street. This includes The Electric Cinema and adjacent buildings, but does not include The Crown or The Old Rep. We are calling this ‘Central Station Street’.

The operator of The Electric was offered the option to renew the lease but elected not to do so. Whilst the reasons for doing so are ultimately his, we still have a positive relationship and would happily enter discussions around independent cinema at The Electric, with first refusal on any future space.

There are currently no plans for the Electric to re-open in its current form, although a lease renewal had been offered to the previous owners. During any construction period, we will be considering options to retain a cinema use – either on Station Street or nearby, until a potential re-invigorated cinema can open – so that the connection to film is not interrupted.

Inevitably, we will need to work together on trust and engage with each other in a meaningful way. We know we need to build that trust.

We will work with partners across the film and cultural industry to establish what an independent cinema needs to include and look like, and – ideally – work with a potential operator early in the process. We are very keen to have conversations with potential operators as early as possible.

We have been looking at potential options for the site which has involved testing different approaches from an investment perspective. However, there are no fixed plans, and we are a long way from having an agreed approach.

Before we get to that point, we want to engage very closely with stakeholders and the community to shape our plan.

We are aware there have been reports of a 50-storey tower and whilst our approach would require a residential-led tall building, the precise height and design is still very much being considered.

Anything which has been informally shared is designed to test different options and should not be considered a formal proposal.

Our current approach includes a tall building, made up of new Build to Rent (BTR) homes.

The new homes are required to partially subsidise and enable any investment we might want to make on the ground floor and allow something special to be delivered at The Electric and Station Street.

New homes will also provide a critical mass of new residents which can further support venues and businesses on Station Street alongside realising the potential footfall that could be secured from New Street Station as key public transport hub.

Without this, investment in The Electric will rely solely on grant money or small-scale investors and is likely to be much more difficult – or impossible – to achieve. This has been a characteristic of the recent history of the cinema.

Currently, no solution has been ruled in or out. We want to work with local partners to work through potential options and come up with the best solution, but one which must be deliverable from an investment perspective and offers a genuine long-term solution to ensuring The Electric can remain an independently operated cinema.

The Electric has constantly evolved to survive, having been constructed, reconstructed, and altered on multiple occasions. This is part of its character and history. It may need to change again.

Due to the condition of the building, and the historical renovation that has already occurred, we do believe a new façade paying homage to the original Art Deco design could be the best solution – the fourth iteration of its famous frontage.

We cannot commit to a full heritage-led restoration. The Electric has already lost many original features, and much of what is seen today is the product of multiple, significant phases of renovation since the 1980s.

We will work through the engagement process with local partners to establish the approach which is likely to be most effective, and which can be delivered. We will not commit to any course of action at this stage, but we do have an open mind about all options.

Whether The Electric is “listable” is key to any future plans for Station Street. As such, we have always expected that the building would be presented for a listing assessment, and this process has begun. We have appointed local heritage specialists to support Historic England in ensuring the assessment is as thorough and efficient as possible.

We do not, however, believe listing the building is necessarily in the best interest of ensuring The Electric survives as a cultural institution. For decades the building’s layout, fabric, and condition have been major hindrances to its commercial viability, and have greatly limited its capacity to adapt, evolve, and survive.

Listing may “lock in” these issues and prevent the substantial private investment necessary to ensure it can operate for a further century.

Listing will also greatly limit our ability to deliver both an enhanced film and cultural offer across the site and support public realm improvement along Station Street.

There is currently no fixed timetable and we have not yet met with Birmingham City Council planning officers to start a formal pre-application process. We will not put ourselves under any undue time pressure, as we know we need to take as much time as we need to get to the right solution which will also be influenced by the risk of listing.

Affordable housing will be included but it is too early to say with certainty what level that might be.

Glenbrook has no commercial interest in either the Crown or the Old Rep and we very much support any plans to ensure these venues thrive into the future. We strongly believe we can elevate the overall offer across Station Street by working with all interested parties in a joint approach.

Any future development will be required to be fully soundproofed to ensure the effective operation of the Crown and other music venues nearby.