The former Leisure World site in Southampton has been almost entirely torn down to make way for car parking spaces for cruise passengers.

Photos overlooking the former cinema complex – which cost £27m to build before it opened for the first time in 1997 – show cranes tearing down the building, with little left of the 200,000 square foot entertainment hub, which also included a sports bar, restaurant, and nightclubs Ikon and Diva.

The biggest leisure complex of its kind in Western Europe when it opened 27 years ago – Leisure World was nicknamed ‘fun palace of the south’ by its owners, Rank Leisure.

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After closing its doors in February 2022, the land was earmarked for a major regeneration as part of a £250m scheme, which received planning permission in 2021, with the site touted to include 650 new homes, two 150-room hotel rooms, a cinema and a disco.

However, the plans later fell through, with Southampton City Council granting Associated British Reports temporary access to the land for two years from January 2025.

Under the plans, the site will accommodate 1,493 car parking spaces, accessible via Solent Road.