Talks start on town centre leisure complex (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Talks start on town centre leisure complex

9:29am Tuesday 7th November 2006 in News By Sally-Anne Johnson

A NEW leisure complex with a ten-screen cinema, bowling alley, nightclub, bars and restaurants could be built in the centre of Welwyn Garden City.

The complex is one of three options that will be recommended to Welwyn Hatfield Council tonight to improve the town's leisure facilities.

Also up for discussion will be a multi-purpose community, cultural and health facility and an independent cinema showing both mainstream and foreign films.

The cultural centre could have a museum that would focus on local history and the garden city movement, a tourist information centre, an exhibition area and potentially a "multi-faith facility".

The museum would exist alongside current facilities at Mill Green and Campus West.

The options have come about as part of the council's obligation to create a "cultural strategy".

Last year it hired a firm of consultants, PMP, to carry out a review of the town's leisure and community facilities and residents were quizzed on what they thought of the facilities available.

The review revealed that while there were adequate sports and fitness facilities in Welwyn Garden City, there was a need to improve the town's "evening economy" by bringing in more bars, restaurants and cinemas.

PMP's report says developers and operators were keen to invest in the town and that the town centre and Broadwater Road are the most viable sites for development.

The recommendations will be heard by the council's social overview and scrutiny committee at their meeting at Campus West tonight.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Handside ward Tony Skottowe said he was interested in hearing more about the proposal for a museum.

Councillor Skottowe, who has set up a trust with the aim of creating a heritage centre in the town, said: "It's great that it's happening - it's only taken 75 years to get around to talking about a heritage centre.

"I'd be very interested to see what's being proposed but the devil will be in the detail."