THE long wait for Newbury’s new cinema is nearly over.
The new seven-screen cinema in Cheap Street, operated by Vue Entertainment, is due to open to the public next Friday (November 13).
But it looks unlikely that the five restaurant and cafe units below will be occupied by then.
Vue could not confirm this week whether anyone is lined up to move into the units and said they were awaiting a public announcement from Kennet Shopping, which was sold to Irish developer Alanis in 2005.
The profitablility of the project is understood to depend on attracting well-known brands to trade in the complex.
Chief operating officer for Vue, Steve Knibbs, said last month that there had been interest in the site but Conor O’Gallagher of Alanis has still not confirmed who he has been in talks with to fill the vacant restaurants, despite saying in April that he was ”happy with the levels of interest in them”.
It has been more than a decade since the lights went out at the Forum - Newbury’s former cinema in Park Way - and despite a lengthy construction period and numerous roadworks the general manager of Vue Newbury, Steve Wallace, said it was an exciting new venture.
“After years without a cinema in the town it’s hard to believe we are only a week away from opening, but with top films and state-of-the-art facilities we are confident that the wait will have been worth it,” he added.
The new £2.5m complex is set to contain 1,000 seats across its seven screens, all of which will be licensed and have Dolby Surround Sound.
In addition, there will be digital 3D cinema viewing in two of the screens, where cinema-goers will be able to enjoy such films as A Christmas Carol, Avatar and Toy Story 3 in the coming months.
The cinema, which forms a major part of the Newbury Vision 2025, has been in the pipeline for several years, with plans for it first approved in June 2004.
However, these were resubmitted when Alanis bought Kennet Shopping and was subsequently granted planning permission in October 2006.
Since then, there have been council disputes over delays to the project, but West Berkshire Council leader, Graham Jones (Con, Lambourn Valley) said yesterday (Wednesday) that it would provide a great boost not just to Newbury, but the whole district.
A gala event will take place next Thursday (November 12) with a screening of A Christmas Carol, ahead of the opening the following day, when such films as the Hollywood blockbuster 2012 and animated family film Fantastic Mr Fox will be on show.
Tickets are now on sale for the shows at: www.myvue.com/newbury