The building where the Bee Gees first performed to be saved from demolition

The cinema where the Bee Gees first performed looks like being saved from demolition.

Owners The Co-op have accepted a £2.2m offer from Chorlton Community Land Trust’s for the former Gaumont Cinema building in Chorlton, providing the final proposal delivers the key community elements that the CLT have stated.

The Co-op has said it will work with the CLT as they develop their proposal. If the sale to the CLT does not proceed, The Co-op will go ahead with alternative development plans for the property.

The Gibb brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice, were born on the Isle of Man but moved to Chorlton-cum-Hardy with their family in 1955.

They lived at 51 Keppel Road and attended Oswald Road Primary School, close to The Gaumont, where they first performed in public in 1957. The performance included a cover of Wake Up Little Susie by The Everley Brothers.

They went on to form the Bee Gees, one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, selling more than 220 million records worldwide – roughly twice as many as Oasis.

A spokesman for The Co-op said: “Throughout this process, we’ve looked to ensure an outcome which would benefit the community and a solution for the site which is deliverable and sustainable.

“The Co-op is a different kind of business with community and sustainability at our core and, contrary to some reports, the sale of our Funeralcare building was never just about achieving the best financial value for our members.

“We are pleased, therefore, to announce a way forward with Chorlton CLT, that we hope will ensure the use of the site in the future that will benefit the local community.”

To find out more about the campaign and/or to make a pledge, please visit the Stayin’ Alive website.