Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Abbey Road to turn listed construction to secure the future

Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent & , : {}

The Abbey Road recording studios could be listed inside of a week as piece of a move by English Heritage to safeguard that they are not incited in to flats.

Baroness Andrews, the president of English Heritage, will endorse on Monday to Margaret Hodge, the enlightenment minister, that the physique stands by a letter of reference it done in 2003 that the studios, in northwest London, should be since Grade II listed status.

Public cheer followed the preference by EMI, the jot down association that owns the studios, to put them on the marketplace to assistance to compensate off debts of about �3 billion. Figures from the song world, together with Sir Paul McCartney and Andrew Lloyd Webber, have called for the studios to be saved.

Only 1 per cent of requests by English Heritage to list buildings are incited down by ministers, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is doubtful to reject plans to save the studios, that are synonymous with bands such as the Beatles.

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In the trusted letter of reference to ministers, seen by The Times, the organization concluded: The Abbey Road Studios aver inventory at Grade II for their superb informative seductiveness as the worlds beginning purpose-built, and still the majority famous, recording studios. It added: (The studios) retain outrageous informative seductiveness as well as almost total recording college of music spaces interiors and should be listed.

Although giving Grade II listed standing to the studios would not order out the construction being knocked down or closed, it would force formulation authorities to work from a hypothesis that requests to shift the construction or shift the make use of should be rejected. Listing standing would not forestall piece of it being incited in to a museum.

The National Trust is marshalling a consortium of intensity buyers to rescue Abbey Road, nonetheless sources at the organization pronounced that it would be incompetent to means the �30 million cost tab that EMI has put on the studios. Patrick Begg, the bodys senior manager for the London area, is pronounced to be in talks with multiform investors about fasten forces.

The certitude pronounced that it had perceived rare open await to step in after asking on the website either it should try to save the studios. One source said: Were articulate to whoever has a prophesy that matches with ours a living, respirating recording studio.

Tony Wadsworth, a former authority and arch senior manager of EMI UK, is additionally accepted to be in talks with at slightest dual groups deliberation bidding. Mr Wadsworth, who left the association shortly after it was acquired by Terra Firma, the in isolation equity owner, is accepted to hold that the studios should sojourn open, but could be done financially viable by adding a caller centre and museum.

The preference to sell the studios comes as Terra Firma prepares to ask investors for �150 million. Guy Hands, the owner of the group, paid for EMI in 2007 for �4.2 billion, loading the commercial operation with some-more than �2.6 billion of debt. EMI lost �1.75 billion last year.

Sir Paul said: There are a couple of people who have been compared with the college of music for a prolonged time who were articulate about ascent a little bid to save it. I sympathise with them. I goal they can do something, itd be great. A orator for Lord Lloyd-Webber pronounced that the entertainment impresario was really meddlesome in shopping Abbey Road.

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