Bar plans for Newbury cinema scrapped

Plans for a late night lounge 'Break Bar' under the Vue cinema are no longer proceeding

NEWBURY is still awaiting the arrival of its first restaurant or bar underneath the town's cinema - almost two years after the cinema first opened.

The seven-screen Vue cinema opened in November 2009, although the five ground floor units underneath have remained empty ever since.

Last November, the REL Pub Co announced it was to open a new site in Newbury with two businesses under one roof, including a Coffee Republic and a late night lounge known as Break Bar, and a licensing application was submitted.

But despite the application gaining approval, the bar has never materialised and the Kennet Shopping centre manager, Mag Williams, said this week that the deal was not proceeding.

She did, however, say that talks were ongoing with a major operator about taking over the big corner unit that straddles Market Street and Cheap Street, with operators being sought for two other units.

She said: “We will get there, but it is taking longer than expected.”

Mrs Williams added that she did not feel the lack of restaurants or bars was having a negative effect on shops in the Kennet Shopping centre, although she said the arrival of restaurants would undoubtedly help to retain more people in Newbury town centre.

She said: “I think everyone knows it will be better when they are there.”