A magnificent building beset by neglect and vandalism
Grade II-listed, 1891, William James Morley and George Herbert Woodhouse
The former Conservative Club on Cannon Street, Accrington was designed to make a statement about permanence against the backdrop of significant social and political change. One of the largest conservative clubs in the country, with a ballroom which could comfortably hold a thousand people, it was until recently used as a nightclub and remains a prominent landmark in the town. Now closed, it has fallen victim to arson attacks and calls for its complete demolition, with the most recent proposal for redevelopment involving the demolition of everything save for the elevations. The Victorian Society urges the local council to determine a sustainable new use for the building as soon as possible, so that it might be preserved as an important part of the townscape and social history of Accrington.
Status Update / March 2026
After a protracted period of decline, in May 2016, firefighters were called to the building to respond to a suspected arson attack. The fire was eventually brought under control, but a structural survey confirmed that the walls were in a state of imminent collapse. The local council served the owner with a notice, detailing their plans to demolish parts of the structure, and these were executed in June that year. The heritage value of the building has been significantly undermined, with the interior completely lost.