Cinema plans welcomed by council leader (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)
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St Albans cinema plans welcomed by council leader Robert Donald
12:44pm Tuesday 11th January 2011 in News
Councillor Robert Donald says he is "passionate" about the venue
The decision to convert a St Albans theatre into a cinema will help to safeguard the venue’s future, city’s most senior councillor has said.
Councillor Robert Donald, leader of St Albans District Council, said the £405,000 renovation of The Maltings Arts Theatre would, in the long-run, actually save money.
Taxpayers, he said, were currently subsiding the venue to the tune of up to £150,000 a year – equivalent to one per cent of council tax revenues.
He said: “Having fought personally very hard to get this arts venue in the first place, I am passionate about keeping it open now. But we can’t go on any longer propping it up every year with council taxpayers’ money when the council faces local government cutbacks of 27 per cent between now and 2013.
“The venue has to start paying its own way and become self-sustaining. The business plan is based on the capital invest to save policy and shows the cinema will be financially self-funding within four years and our council tax subsidy will be reduced to zero over this period.
“We already have a number of excellent live performance theatres in St Albans, some very close to the Maltings Arts Theatre, and across the district.
“This seven day-a-week digital cinema will still have the capacity for occasional live shows. We lack film venues locally as our young people keep reminding us.
“This 21st century cinema initiative will not only meet this need but extend our arts offer as an exciting cultural hub in our region for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
“We hope to work with the Odyssey cinema [in London Road] when that opens to plan complementary programming and marketing of arts events to maximise economic development potential.”
Comments(2)
Mr.B
says...
6:36pm Tue 11 Jan 11
We have a fairly good cinema in Hatfield, which although is out of town, is worth travelling to as it provides the latest films with comfortbale surroundings.
Sounds like a waste of money to me, isn't there more important things to sort out first like the state of the roads perhaps???
Vanessa says...
1:20pm Tue 11 Jan 11
If you look at the council’s budget figures, the cabinet aims to externally borrow £485,000 to pay for the changes in the theatre and their business plan seems reliant on full houses. More and more borrowing in a time of austerity!
The cabinet admitted last week they will not be able to show ‘blockbuster films’, therefore what do they plan to show to get ‘young bums on seats’ to repay this loan and end the subsidies?
Yes we do have other venues such as the old Town Hall for live performances, but that despite the much needed renovation, does not seem to be doing very well financially, so the cabinet’s track record is not exactly brilliant!
The public consultation results on The Maltings were not in favour but the cabinet moved the goalposts.
Just like the fatality flawed “Westminster Bodge”, this cabinet is prepared to borrow millions and millions of pounds with dodgy business plans seemingly for quick fixes for party political reasons.
Consultation questions are skewed and results massaged just to match the cabinets ambitions.
Councillor Donald may be grinning, but the taxpayer will not, because we at least know if you borrow money, at some point you have to pay it back and the burden will fall on us yet again.