The Stafford Cinema

Casa Environmental’s Stafford branch recently had the privilege of carrying out a full refurbishment survey to one of Stafford’s most iconic landmarks — The Stafford Cinema. The refurbishment survey was undertaken prior to the star of renovation to turn the old cinema into a place of worship.

The Stafford Cinema first opened its doors in 1936, entertaining generations of film lovers for an incredible 85 years before closing in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Originally named the Odeon Theatre, the building has a fascinating history of reinvention.

The theatre was built as the smallest venue in the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres. With seating for 535 in the stalls and 421 in the circle, the screening room housed not only the cinema screen but also a small stage — a feature it retained for decades. Its opening night even featured a performance by Jack Payne and his orchestra , the performance was few took a few years after Payne’s departure from the BBC Dance Orchestra where he had taken part in the orchestra first broadcast in 1928.

In 1981, it became the Astra Cinema under the Hutchinson Leisure Group, before being renamed the Apollo Cinema in 1988, and finally taking on its most recent identity as The Stafford Cinema under the Curzon Cinema chain, until its unfortunate closure in 2021.

Once able to seat 639 people across its three screening rooms, the cinema was a true hub of community life. As part of our survey, samples were taken from the circle lounge, the screening rooms, the foyer, WC facilities, and even the building’s exterior. Due to the high number of similar samples across large areas, an alternative sampling strategy was agreed with the client. This approach helped maintain the client’s budget while adhering to HSG264 requirements regarding sample procedures, which are set to ensure asbestos content is correctly reported.

Our surveyor completed the survey efficiency while delivering results that fully met the client’s expectations. For us at Casa, it was an honour to play a role in the next chapter of such a unique and historic building — one that has meant so much to the people of Stafford for nearly a century.

View more case studies