Forty years after opening as the UK's first US-style multiplex, The Point in Milton Keynes faces demolition under plans by developer Galliard Homes. The mirrored glass ziggurat and red pyramidal frame, which once housed 10 screens, bars, and a nightclub, has been closed since 2020. Galliard's proposal for a 21-storey apartment block with 487 flats was approved on appeal, despite being unanimously rejected by the city council in July 2024.
Council leader Peter Marland condemned the decision, calling it a 'complete disregard for the unique heritage of the city' and describing the scheme as 'terrible in almost every single way', citing a lack of affordable homes and poor design. He argued that The Point is as important to Milton Keynes as the Liver Building is to Liverpool or St Paul's to Londoners.
The Twentieth Century Society's campaigns director, Oli Marshall, emphasised the building's historical significance, calling it 'the most historically important cinema built in Britain since the golden age of the 1930s'. He noted that only one postwar cinema in Britain is currently listed, and urged that this be changed.
The Point opened in 1985, revitalising British cinema-going during a historic low point, with over a million visitors in its first year. However, after the arrival of the Xscape leisure complex in 2000, it declined and closed its cinemas in 2015. Subsequent use by youth charities and bingo could not survive the Covid pandemic.
Milton Keynes council is now seeking legal advice to challenge the planning appeal, while Historic England assesses whether The Point should be listed. A Certificate of Immunity currently prevents listing, but it expires next year. MP Emily Darlington noted the site's recent dereliction but stressed the importance of preserving the landmark.
