Icons or eyesores – how do we decide the fate of our landmark buildings?

This landmark building has divided opinion in the seaside town and as a decision over its fate looms ever closer, the debate is hotting up. Scarborough Council's subsidy only safeguards the building until the end of this year and a task group, due to report back this month, is examining the options for its long-term future.

The venue has played host to the likes of The Beatles, Morecambe and Wise and Shirley Bassey over the years and is one of numerous buildings that have been identified as "at risk" by the Theatres Trust. The site of the Futurist has been used for entertainment since 1903 and the existing building dates back to the 1920s. The prospect of the theatre facing its final curtain has rallied supporters and an application has been submitted to English Heritage for potential listed status.

But not everyone believes keeping the theatre is the best way forward. One leading consultant, Mark Rothery, has already warned it would be "commercial suicide" to try saving it and would only waste millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. With passionate voices on both side of the fence, tomorrow's debate promises to be a lively one.

Ray Clarke, secretary of the Scarborough Forty Club, believes it may be time for a change. "I think those fighting to keep it solely as a theatre are doing it for nostalgia reasons," he says.

"I went there recently and it would need an awful lot of money to bring it back up to scratch and do we really need it? The Spa is about to be redeveloped and we have the Stephen Joseph Theatre. If you look at the Spa, it's been a theatre for 170 years but the Futurist building was first used as a warehouse for ship repairs and it's been used as a pub and an arcade before it became a theatre. People say, 'Yes, but look at the wonderful marble facade' which is impressive, but I read somewhere that it also has an asbestos roof, so we need to look at the whole picture."

He would like to see wider use of the site. "I think a multi-purpose venue that could be used for exhibitions and conferences would perhaps be a good idea. What do people want when they go out? They want somewhere to park, they want somewhere nice to eat and they want to watch a good show or a film. Why not have that on one site?"

All over the country there are campaigns to save buildings that either face being torn down, or turned into ubiquitous glass- fronted apartments and office complexes. In Bradford, despite a fierce battle to save the Odeon, the former cinema has been earmarked for demolition to make way for bars, cafs and a new hotel. The plight of the Odeon, which has fallen into chronic disrepair, is accentuated by the success of its iconic neighbour – the Alhambra theatre.

A stunning, Grade II* listed building, the Alhambra itself once faced possible demolition in favour of a car park, before eventually being restored to its former glory in 1986. However, barring any dramatic intervention, it appears unlikely that the Odeon will be as fortunate. In March, Bradford Council's regulatory and appeals committee agreed to grant planning permission for the New Victoria Place development and conservation area consent for demolition of the former cinema.

But why, is one building able to flourish, while the other is likely to be reduced to a photograph in the history books?

English Heritage is the public organisation charged with managing England's historic buildings, from pubs to castles. Nick Bridgland is head of heritage protection for the North of England and he and his team deal with applications, usually from councils or members of the public, asking them to consider a building for listed status.

"It is our job to decide if a building has sufficient architectural and historical importance to be listed," he says.

Once they have an application, they carry out a detailed assessment before making a recommendation to the Heritage Secretary. In the Odeon's case, it wasn't what campaigners wanted to hear. "We have been to look at the Odeon many times in the last few years but internally it was so altered it didn't pass muster in its own right."

Being granted listed status protects the character of the building, but its use can still change. Sheffield's Portland Works, nestled in the shadow of Bramall Lane football ground on an unremarkable back street, is a Grade II* listed building. Built 140 years ago, the works was the first forge in the city to begin manufacturing the stainless steel cutlery that became synonymous with the Made in Sheffield brand.

Today, behind its tired faade there is still a warren of thriving Little Mesters workshops that are testament to the city's continued craftsmanship.

But perhaps not for much longer. The company which owns the site has submitted a planning application to convert the building into small studio apartments

and offices.

If Sheffield Council approves the proposals, the building would get smartened up, but many fear the soul of the place would be buried beneath glass towers and minimalist designs.

Paul Bedwell, chairman of Sheffield Civic Trust, says a lot of people form a close bond with buildings for one reason or another. "People think about where they met their husband, or wife, where their children were born, where they saw The Beatles – all sorts of things. Some buildings might not appear to be particularly significant, but they can have a personal relevance and people do get fiercely protective towards them."

When it comes to listed buildings, we tend to take the view that older is better, but Mr Bedwell says this shouldn't always be the case. "If you look at a lot of post-war buildings, they tend to be some of the most controversial listings. But it's important we keep the best buildings from each period because they tell our architectural story."

They don't come much more controversial than Sheffield's Park Hill flats which, despite later being voted one of the most hated buildings in Britain, were given a Grade II listing in 1998. When the first residents moved in back in the early 1960s, Park Hill was Britain's first post-war slum clearance scheme and the most ambitious inner-city housing project of its time. But as the years rolled by the flagship estate became an eyesore and a nagging symbol of the city's economic decline.

Now, though, regeneration firm Urban Splash has embarked on an

ambitious project to transform Park Hill back into the thriving community it once was.

"There are some people who would have gladly seen the back of it, but whether you like it or not Park Hill has become part of the fabric of Sheffield," says Mr Bedwell. "It's a very bold and brave commitment to bring it back into use, but once you make that decision you have to go with it. We need to make better use of buildings rather than having this obsession with knocking them down and starting again, particularly in the current economic climate, and we need to look at renovating and re-using existing buildings as a solution."

But while we shouldn't keep something purely for the sake of it, he believes we need to look more sympathetically at modern buildings. "There are some interesting architectural schemes being designed now and the best ones, you would hope, will be the listed buildings of the future."

n The Scarborough Forty Club is hosting a public debate about the Futurist Theatre in the concert room at the Scarborough Library and Information Centre, Vernon Road, Scarborough, tomorrow at 10.30am. Entry is free.