Birmingham City Council is exploring the possibility of declaring a conservation area in the city after the campaign to save The Electric cinema suffered a setback.

The future of Station Street, home to the historic cinema and other venues, drew headlines last year following the sudden closure of The Electric, which was the UK’s oldest working cinema. 

There were mixed feelings when property developer Glenbrook said it had ambitions of ‘re-inventing’ the historic cinema – an endeavour that could be supported through a tower block with build-to-rent homes. 

The Save Station Street campaign, which has been backed by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Succession star Brian Cox, has been fighting to have The Electric listed. But the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed this month it had decided not to bestow listed status on the venue, saying it did not meet the criteria. 

The Save Station Street campaign was left devastated by the decision and said hopes rested on councillors “doing everything in their power to get the best result”. 

Historic England, which provides advice to the government, argued the “architectural interest” of The Electric had been eroded by numerous alterations. 

“No single phase of which survives well enough or is of sufficient quality to merit listing,” it said. “The building as it survives today is, both inside and out, largely the product of refurbishment in the early 2000s.” 

It acknowledged the news would be disappointing but offered a glimmer of hope for campaigners wanting to fight on. 

“The story of The Electric cinema is part of the story of Birmingham,” Historic England said. “But ultimately listing is not the correct mechanism for protecting or telling this particular story. 

“The decision not to list The Electric in no way diminishes the significant and lasting impact that Station Street has had on music, film and theatre in the UK and beyond. 

“Nor does it prevent efforts to recognise the importance of this area in other ways, such as by the establishment of a conservation area.” 

Bringing this possibility up during a planning committee this week, independent councillor Martin Brooks said: “Many of us on the council are very concerned at the decision not to list The Electric cinema.

“The decision is very unfortunate, particularly given the importance of other buildings around Station Street in terms of the cultural heritage of this city.”

“One thing that was referred to [in the English Heritage report] is the possibility that the city could declare Station Street as a conservation area.” 

He asked if there had been any discussions within the council about the potential move.

“We have already got other buildings in Station Street that are listed – there’s The Crown, there’s the Old Rep Theatre,” he added. “It’s a very important cultural aspect of the city and I think we should do what we can to save it.” 

Sarah Scannell, assistant director of planning at Birmingham City Council, said what options the authority had regarding Station Street were being reviewed. “There is the conservation area, there’s also the opportunity of local listing and other opportunities that we’ve got using our levers,” she said. She said she would bring a formal response to the planning committee about what the council proposed to do. 

“I know we’ve already been approached through formal correspondence from members of the public about the same thing,” she added.