Two cinema chains are vying for the return of films to Oswestry, while the city council has backed plans to reopen a historic old cinema.
Oswestry City Council councillors voted unanimously last night to enter into negotiations with the town’s former Regal Theatre following the permanent closure of independent theatre Kinoculture last month.
The authority will contact the owners of the building with a view to purchasing the freehold property, as well as exhausting options for reinstalling a cinema in the city, and national broadcasters interested in managing the facility.
The Leg Street Theatre closed to the public in the 1990s and has since been used as a branch office and charity shop, but several attempts to reopen it as a cinema have failed.
Now, a move put forward by Green Party councillor Duncan Kerr could see the silver screens of the Regal unfurled once back for customers, part of a one-off £2 million receipt deposited into council coffers for the sale of Smithfield’s former farm animal market. place.
Councilman Kerr said a cinema in the city would improve the city’s nightlife economy and prevent money from “flowing out of the city” to other primary regional hubs such as Shrewsbury and Wrexham.
“For several years now, the City Council has been working to repair a movie theater in the Regal building in the middle of the nighttime economy,” he said.
“The recent decision to close Kinokultura indicates that there is no longer a committed cinema in the city.
“Recognizing that the Council still has the legacy of exceptional capital inflows, and has decided that this deserves to be used to revitalize the downtown economy.
“Resolved that the Council direct the Secretary to initiate negotiations with the owners of the Regal to complete construction so that the Council can then work with exhibitors to repair it as a multi-screen theater. “
He informed the assembly that the city council had already discussed with two cinema chains that had remained in contact with the city council about the prospect of opening a cinema in the city.
However, several councillors expressed fears that the council could become overloaded with too many projects and questioned the council’s potential monetary exposure as a result of the project.
An amendment tabled by Councillor James Owen means the council will also consider other features to install a cinema in the city, adding the Centre’s existing big screen on Oak Street, the youth facilities building recently acquired by Shropshire City Council.
A report will be presented to the full Council through the City Clerk with aspects to be discussed at a long-term meeting.