Listed Status

As the pandemic wore on, some Milton Keynes residents again took to social media, petitioning and local news in an effort to try and safeguard The Point. Meanwhile, two further applicants attempted to get listed status for our landmark.

“Many people comment on how they knew they were home when they saw that red pyramid in the distance.”

Milton Keynes advocate, 15 Jul 2020

Unsurprisingly, Historic England rejected the applications again, re-using their advice report in its entirety from the fourth attempt.

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28th September 2020. Other attempts at listed status are also available for download.

Almost immediately after the Certificate of Immunity awarded to Hammerson to protect The Point from being listed expired, the Cinema Theatre Association (CTA) jumped into action.

By this stage, MK Council had already removed the final obstacles to granted planning permission to The Point for its demolition and redevlopment. That didn’t deter the CTA from compiling and submitting one of the most indepth defences of The Point to date, noting that the building was groundbreaking on many levels:

“It was featured … for the significant role it played in reinvigorating the cinema industry in the 1980s.”

“In terms of [architecture]… it illustrates both concepts of Archigram and the influence of American Architecture on buildings in Britain.”

“It was built by BDP … an experimental, idealistic and interdisciplanary practice…”

Cinema Theatre Association, 10 Jun 2019

Historic England assess applications on their historical and architectural merit rather than local popularity, and never before had a more robust and concise argument been put forward in defence of The Point and its place in British history.

But even this wasn’t enough, with Historic England apparently unwilling to even write a new conclusion on their advice report, instead copy and pasting verbatim the conclusion from their first advice report issued way back in 2012. Listed status was rejected again.

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28th September 2020. Other attempts at listed status are also available for download.

Barely a month after Iain Sear’s second attempt at listing, another local advocate also applied for listed status with Historic England.

We must preserve this iconic building and restore it to it’s former glory before it is lost forever.

Advocate for The Point MK, 24 Jul 2012

Historic England used the same advice report as that used to determine Attempt #2, and promptly declined the application.

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28th September 2020. Other attempts at listed status are also available for download.

After listed status was rejected by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport in 2003, Iain Sear, the same passionate MK advocate was again applying to Historic England following the immediate threat of demolition presented by owner Hammerson, who submitted their first proposal for demolition of The Point.

Alongside the wider claims of its historic significance to the British cinema industry, Iain again noted that the building was one of our city’s most famous structures.

“A generation has grown up as Milton Keynes was built around them and they identify with The Point as a focal building … In the past 9 years The Point has remained an iconic building in Milton Keynes … it forms part of the heritage of the City Centre.”

Iain Sear, 17 Jun 2012

Historic England again declined the listing. Whilst mentioning its local interest, their accompanying advice report also stated that:

“…in terms of the history of cinema [multiplexes are] only a minor development in cinema design.”

“The ziggurat pyramid … has some claim to architectural interest for its eye-catching, commercially-orientated, function-driven design, but … was not built to a consistently high standard nor with high quality materials and detailing.”

“The building … has suffered from continual refurbishment.”

Historic England, 22 Feb 2013

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28th September 2020. Other attempts at listed status are also available for download.

Largely unknown to the general public, the Cinema Theatre Association has worked tirelessly behind the scenes in its efforts to ensure the survival of The Point, collating more research and information on its development than perhaps any other.

As soon as The Point crossed the thirty year mark to be considered for listed status they filed arguably the most comprehensive defence of the buildings historic, cultural and architectural merits.

The Freedom of Information request did not return a decision letter for this application, but it’s formulaic and the answer well known – listed status denied.

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 13th January 2021. Further attempts at listed status were made over the years to follow.

This document appeared in our Freedom of Information request to Historic England, which although related to the request for a Certificate of Immunity a number of years later, doesn’t appear linked in any direct way.

The report titled Analysis of Architectural Quality and Potential for Listing was produced by the Richard Coleman Consultancy on behalf of owner Hammerson. The report reads as you might expect from something that has been commissioned and paid for; it lacks any integrity or diversity of opinion and features heavy bias on every page. The report may as well have been written by Hammerson themselves.

The report was likely produced in anticipation of objections and attempts at listing when submitting their outline planning application.

This document was made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 13th January 2021. Attempts at listed status were made over the years to follow.

Iain Sear, a local resident of Milton Keynes perhaps foresaw the perils The Point faced long before anyone else in 2003. Following the closure of UCI cinema and the lacklustre performance of easyCinema, he approached English Heritage and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to obtain listed status.

“The Laser displays from the peak of The Point are one of my most vivid childhood memories.”

Iain Sear, 28 Jul 2003

DCMS responded that at less than 30 years of age the building was too new, nor was it under threat from any form of planning permission. Listed status was denied.

These documents were made available by Historic England (HE) via a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28th September 2020. Further attempts at listed status were made over the years to follow.