Cinema opens as part of £9m town redevelopment

7 hours ago

Sharon Edwards

BBC News

Sally Grindrod-Smith says the development will give people more reasons to come into the town

BBC A woman with blond hair and wearing a smart red evening dress stands outside a new cinema building with an exterior dominated by large tinted windows. — Sally Grindrod-Smith says the development will give people more reasons to come into the town

A four-screen cinema has opened in the centre of Gainsborough.

It is part of a £9m redevelopment of the Lincolnshire town and also includes two new shops and a restaurant.

The 330-seat venue, operated by Savoy Cinemas, is located in the Market Place and has a pedestrian link to the Marshall's Yard shopping area.

Sally Grindrod-Smith, director of planning, regeneration and communities for West Lindsey District Council (WLDC), said it would "reconnect the new with the old".

The new cinema was built on the site of a former department store

Gelder Construction Aerial view of the new Savoy Cinema a three-storey building in light stone with large grey windows and a grey cladded roof with the cinema's name in silver lettering. There is a car park at the front and a row of shops to the right. — The new cinema was built on the site of a former department store

She added: "The changing face of retail has meant fewer people have been coming into the centre of the town.

"So this offer and new leisure offer will bring people in for a different reason and once they're here, we hope they'll spend time here and enjoy everything else that the town centre has."

It was built on the site of the former Oldrids department store, which was demolished in June 2023.

The project was funded by contributions from WLDC, the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the government's levelling up fund and Savoy Cinemas.

The venue has 330 seats and is operated by Savoy Cinemas

A view from inside a cinema room. There are rows of black leather seats and a red screen at the front. There is red branding down the sides — The venue has 330 seats and is operated by Savoy Cinemas

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