Green-light for work to start on new £6.5m cinema complex in summer

Published Friday 16 March 2018 at 15:55

Green-light for work to start on new £6.5m cinema complex in summer

Plans were approved last night for a new eight-screen Hollywood and Bollywood cinema complex on the former Waves site.

The Reel Cinema development on the Nab Lane site will host two units for restaurants and cafes with under-croft car parking for 100 cars and landscaping.

It will also house the borough’s first electric charging points for vehicles – demonstrating the Council’s commitment to a greener borough.

Works are due to start in the summer with an opening date expected in December 2019.

Reel Cinema is the largest independent cinema in the country – with a similar development recently approved in Chorley.

Cllr Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration, said:

A new cinema of this kind was deemed the best use to stimulate economic activity and attract a new audience to the town.

It’s an ambitious and forward thinking plan for this key town centre site which compliments the Northgate vision and will help boost the evening economy and I’m pleased to see it has come to fruition.

The site will have 10 electric charging points – a first for the town centre. It is great news and highlights our green image for the borough.

Additionally there is a long-term investment return for the borough from the rental income, car parking income and business rates.

Cllr Jamie Groves added:

It’s a wonderful application and a great news story for Blackburn. This will definitely enhance the night time economy of Blackburn, Reel have opened in Chorley recently and have a cinema in Burnley as well as other locations across the country.

Cllr John Pearson added:

It’s absolutely the right thing for the borough.

 

This site uses cookies. Find out more about this site’s cookies.