Plans for city cinema withdrawn (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Plans for city cinema withdrawn

4:30pm Friday 9th March 2007 in News

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a £40 million cinema, restaurant and apartments in the heart of St Albans City Centre have been withdrawn.

The council's planning referrals committee was due to consider plans on Wednesday.

However the meeting was cancelled after Henry Davidson Developments withdrew the planning application.

Council leader Robert Donald said: "We welcome this as the right way forward and anticipate new engagement with community groups, English Heritage, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), Hertfordshire Architects and the Youth Council.

"We plan to invite them to become a reference group for any future development and will ask the Civic Society to share their alternative ideas with the project team."

Eric Roberts, chairman of the St Albans Civic Society, which vigorously opposed the scheme, said he was relieved at the withdrawal but concerned about the future.

He said: "It really comes down to what the contract is between the council and Henry Davidson, because this could go on forever.

"If plans keep getting withdrawn and it doesn't get decided we could end up with an open-ended see-saw and it will wear everybody out.

"I'm relieved that we haven't got to go through Wednesday night's meeting and maybe end up with a high-rise block that would set a precedent. But we still want a cinema and we will work with the council to make sure that happens."

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