Alex Theatre could be transformed, after council plans change
The Alex could become a permanent theatre space
Last updated 11th Nov 2022
There's celebrations after a three-year campaign to save Newton Abbot's Alexandra Theatre appears to have succeeded.
The space - which includes a working fly tower - is currently only used three weeks a year for theatre, as it was shared with the town's cineima.
The cinema is currently relocating, which means the theatre space could be used all year round.
Campaigners were concerned the space would have been reduced under plans to bid for Government High Street money to help regenerate the town centre.
The scheme has now been updated, with a final decision due at a meeting next week.
A spokesperson for Teignbridge Council said: "Updated plans to regenerate Newton Abbot would see the Alexandra Cinema building dropped from the multi-million-pound proposals designed to boost the local economy.
"But councillors considering the revised plans next week, are being warned that the Future High Street-funded transformational project could fail if the Government does not accept a revised timetable for spending the ÂŁ9.2 million grant funding.
"Councillors will be asked to approve the updated business plan and commit a further ÂŁ600,000 to building the new cinema - ahead of a December Government update.
"The cinema proposal has the support of an independent report by specialist consultants Entertainment Solution Services which looked at the council’s regeneration plans and concluded that a four-screen cinema is viable and would boost the night-time economy with improved social and leisure opportunities.
"The investigation was requested by councillors who were concerned about the future of cinema due to changing viewing habits caused by the pandemic.
"The latest proposals will also see carbon emissions reduced by switching heating in the cinema from gas to electric and:
The Alexandra Cinema building removed from the project
Retaining the wall between the market hall and the cinema
More of the Food Hall being retained than originally envisaged
Reduced entertainment space as a result of Market Hall changes
Improvements to current Market Hall offering greater diversity to retail offering.
"The report to next week’s extraordinary full council (17 November) concludes that the “project represents value for money, has a strategic case, is viable, is affordable and is achievable within the timeframe of the grant funding.”
"It says that the funding is “unlikely to be available again in the foreseeable future” and the £13 million regeneration investment will provide a £42.3 million economic benefit to the town.
"Under the new plans, no decision would be made on the future of the Alexandra Cinema building until the new cinema was built. One of the options, says the report, would be to offer the building for rent, long leasehold or sale of the freehold - for example for arts and culture, food and drink, live music and events.
A previous report from January
"Although the council is required to get best value, because the Grade ll listed cinema building has been classed as an Asset of Community Value, time would be allowed for community or voluntary sector groups to bid for it.
"The report says the revised timetable might not be approved by the Government as the funding must be spent before March 2024 and if so, unspent budget may have to be returned.
"This would require urgent action to safeguard the loss-making Market Hall and could damage the council’s reputation with the government to deliver future grant funded projects. It concludes “If the funding for the cinema is not agreed the scheme will not be able to proceed….. the positive impact of the changes will be greatly reduced and the wider benefit to the town will be lost. In addition, any plans for the existing Alexandra Cinema building will be lost as the existing tenant will remain in-situ.”
In terms of the four screen cinema plans: "The consultants’ report highlights that UK cinema admissions are over 30% down on the same 2019 pre-pandemic period and says: “Production delays, changed viewing habits and general uncertainty within the market, will push back the timeline on a full recovery for cinema owners, according to some trade experts, until 2023/2024".
"Entertainment Solution Services argues that the impact of the pandemic, inflation and rising living costs, means cinemas need to reinvent themselves and become “event driven social and community hubs”. The report concludes that the council’s regeneration plans, which includes food and drink outlets underneath the cinema and in the market hall, would deliver this opportunity, arguing that cinemas provide an uplift in town centre activity, particularly in holiday periods or during the 6pm – 9pm trading times.
"The report highlights a number of case studies which show that the benefit could be as much as 11% on food and beverage sales and 8% on footfall. It states: “Newton Abbot has the capacity to deliver a similar % uplift if all of the component parts work in unison – transport links, car parking, F&B (food and beverage) and cinema combined with social value impacts”.
The agenda for next week's council meeting can be seen here