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Newmarket could get Odeon cinema
MOVIE giant Odeon could open a new cinema in Newmarket, the Journal can reveal.
The company’s chief executive, Rupert Gavin, said the town was a “leading contender” in a list of possible locations for one of its cinemas.
Mr Gavin revealed the news in a response letter to Newmarket Youth Council. The council wrote to Odeon after discussions with the town’s young people revealed a cinema was top of their wish-list.
Mr Gavin said in his letter: “We have recently assessed the UK towns that we believe, that with the advent of digital cinema technology, may now be viable for a cinema and Newmarket was a leading contender on that list.
“We decided to seek to establish contact with local property developers to work with on this and if you, or any of your council colleagues can be of any assistance in pointing us to the right partners to work with, then that would be grateful.”
He added: “We share your enthusiasm for the Newmarket opportunity.”
Newmarket Town Council’s leisure services committee pledged to support Odeon’s plans during a meeting on Monday.
Committee chairman Cllr Bill Burch said: “It’s fair to say we will give every encouragement we can for Odeon to come here.”
Meanwhile, local property tycoon Bill Gredley and Helical Bar, the London-based property development and investment company which recently bought The Guineas shopping centre, said they were keen to discuss the proposals with Odeon.
Cllr Mick Jefferys, Newmarket mayor and youth council facilitator, said letters were sent to all the major cinema chains outlining the advantages and demand for a cinema in the town.
“It’s very heartening to see the reply from Odeon,” he said.
“A cinema will be of real benefit to the town, particularly for young people. This would be a real boost.”
Millionaire property developer Bill Gredley revealed plans to build a multi-screen cinema and ten-pin bowling alley where the former Newmarket swimming pool stands after buying the site last year.
Mr Gredley, who owns property development company Unex, said: “If they want to come into Newmarket we could certainly help them.
“We have a cinema in our plans for the swimming pool site and we were going to look for an operator.”
Duncan Walker, senior development executive at Helical Bar, said: “We will get in touch with Odeon and see what their thoughts are.
“However, cinema development is very hard to make work economically.”
Newmarket has been home to a number of cinemas over the years.
The Doric, now Millionaires bar and nightclub, in High Street, ran between March 1937 and July 1964.
Innocence, the nightclub across the road, was once the Kingsway Cinema, while Boots, the former Carlton Hotel, was the Victoria Cinema. There was also once a cinema in Black Bear Lane.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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spamalot90
Friday, May 13, 2011 at 12:57 PMDear NJ, I find your final comments at the bottom of this article astonishing and fascinating, regarding the Carlton hotel being a former Cinema and another Cinema being in Black Bear Lane, do you have any more details of this. Kindest regards Vaughan Archer
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