A planned new cinema for Caerphilly County Borough could end up costing local taxpayers thousands of pounds, a Labour councillor has claimed.
In May in this year it was revealed the cost of the proposed cinema in Bargoed, which will be paid for by Caerphilly County Borough Council, had risen to £6.9 million and that efforts were being made to plug a funding gap.
According to Blackwood councillor Nigel Dix, the council is planning to take out a £4m loan repayable over a 20 year period.
National cinema chain Odeon has been lined up by the local authority to lease the building, but, according to Cllr Dix, the revenue generated by the lease will not cover the loan repayments – meaning taxpayers will foot the bill.
He has also raised questions over the ten year period the Odeon could lease the cinema for and claimed the council could end up with a “white elephant” multiplex.
Cllr Dix, who sits on the Regeneration and Scrutiny Committee, said he was made aware of the information in a verbal report from a council officer during a recent meeting of the committee.
He said: “I am concerned the council are over-stretching themselves and I questioned officers at scrutiny and was alarmed by their response.
“If it is such a good idea then surely the Odeon would be investing its own money? I feel we are taking all the risk and there is no guarantee that this scheme is going to work.
“It is a gamble and it is a gamble we cannot afford to take.”
Cllr Dix added that Caerphilly County Borough Council should not be “getting into the cinema business” and that other private companies could look at re-opening Bargoed’s old Hanbury Road Cinema.
He cited company Picturedrome Cinemas, which is reopening the Maxine in Blackwood, as a prime example of what could be done.
Last month it was revealed the cost of the planned Bargoed multiplex, which is part of the second phase of the town’s regeneration, had spiralled to £6.9m and that efforts were being made to cut costs and find extra funding from the Welsh Government.
At the time, Labour council leader Keith Reynolds said the authority remained committed to the development
He said: “We don’t currently have a multiplex cinema within the county borough, and, with a population of over 180,000 residents, it is a much-needed leisure facility for our residents. We will continue to work in partnership with Odeon to bring this project to fruition.”
A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “The leader of council recently gave an assurance that the authority remains committed to ensuring the Bargoed cinema development is brought to fruition.
“The council is currently in negotiations with Odeon about this exciting development, therefore it would not be appropriate to disclose any contractual or commercially confidential information around these discussions.”
A spokeswoman for Odeon said: “We are in ongoing discussions with Caerphilly County Borough Council, however there are no confirmed plans for a new Odeon site at this stage.
“We regularly work closely with a number of local authorities to support exciting regeneration opportunities and our discussion with Caerphilly Council continues.”
Wise words Cllr Dix but, alas, your labour comrades are drunk with self importance which in turn suppresses common sense.
Correct!!!!!!!!
Cllr Dix spends more time criticising the Labour Party than he does to his opposition, why doesn’t he leave the Labour Party? If he spoke as much time as he did attending council meetings would be a good thing because his attendance record is awful, glad I don’t live in Blackwood!!!!!!!!
Please supply evidence to his attendance record.
The fact that Nigel Dix ( Labour) is prepared to level critisism at Labour Party decisions is good healthy politics, he is honestly representing his views and those of his constituents, rather than blindly following political dogma, He is a bigger individual and a more honest politician than many people in local and national politics for it.
I hold the view that all party members, of whatever political party they belong or support must be free to hold an honest and measured opinion which he or she has to be allowed to publicly express.
To suggest that any political party representative should ` leave the labour party` if they hols a view to that expressed by others is perverse ans totally disproportionate.
I agree with ‘Arthur the Great’ that the fact Cllr. Dix is willing to question decisions made by his party is healthy. The financial arrangements concerning this cinema seems very questionable indeed. Well done Cllr. Dix.
Labour leader Keith Reynolds says, ““We don’t currently have a multiplex cinema within the county borough,
and, with a population of over 180,000 residents, it is a much-needed
leisure facility for our residents.”
I point out that we also don’t have a fully functioning hospital in the borough.
sorry Linda you are wrong I attended all my meetings, as for criticizing labour, Plaid support the Bargoed cinema , putting party politics to one side and the interest of the people first, my point is we cannot afford it, we are facing huge cuts.
Nigel no I am right for instance on your annual report of council it shows you attended 3 council meetings out of 9 I’m not going in the commitees you are on. I think the press should do a report of cllrs attending meetings because even though Cllr dix record on attendance is awful there are other members with similar records. I think its disgusting cllrs can’t be bothered to attend if it was a one off it would be something but this happens every year. a press release on members attendance should be on display every year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
your wrong as special council meetings are NOT recorded < I attended 7 out of 9 can I have an apology ? Can you tell what your Blog has do with Bargoed?
I never thought I would see the day when I would agree with nigel dix.
However, at the end of the day mr dix blackwood would not be getting a cinema it is wasn’t for steve reynolds and picturedrome.
Why didn’t someone at the council have the sense to think of the old cinema in bargoed and seek someone like picturedrome like steve reynolds had the sense to do in Blackwood. They didn’t because that is common sense and the council doesn’t run on such behaviour.
I meet regularly with the owners of the new Cinema to see the progress they are making. Picturedrome came to Blackwood as they saw the huge potential the Town has and that’s the way it should be , just like the developers at Blackwood gate saw potential and invested in our town, sadly it took me 8 years to change the planning consent ,thankfully the site is now open for business and creating jobs.
Shame it has had an impact on blackwood town centre.
Where is your interest in the old sommerfield store?
We have got a cinema in blackwood thanks to steve reynolds and picturedrome. You were determined not to have a cinema and bowling alley on blackwood retail park. If it wasnt for the opening of home bargains the place would be a disaster.
Bargoed has had too much money spent on it. Blackwood to risca gets nothing at all via the council.
Perhaps Odeon should buy this then:
http://www.brinsons.co.uk/propertydetails.php?Action=Propertydetails&Property_ID=879
Probably won’t get council to support it they want more bland housing on the site:
http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bargoedsbigidea/investment/hanbury-cinema-site
The company who owns Blackwood Cinema has expressed an interest, however they don’t want to do it if Odeon might open in a few years.
Well you and Nigel need to put this to all the councillors and throw the odeon idea down the toilet. You could emphasise that the savings of the council not building this cinema could stop public toilets being closed and services like community cafes could stay open. It is not rocket science. Picturedrome would be ideal on the old cinema site in Bargoed. Tickets would be cheaper than odeon as well.
How upsetting. I’ll make a prediction. Within the decade the Odeon will be closed and the whole complex will become a haven for urban explorers. Us taxpayers will be out of pocket too.
On the 11/06/14 The Wales Report has Rhodri Morgan and Dafydd Ellis Thomas on the show talking about Welsh politics. Rhodri Morgan said that the Labour Party needs more “theatre” and that there should be an obligation on Labour Politicians to open up and have more exciting debates. Nigel Dix does that, he challenges and tries to open up the debate on matters that he feels strongly about. If we didn’t have politicians like Nigel sticking neck out we would steer towards autocracy where power would remain in the same hands as the usual few. Something which again he took issue with in the Western Mail recently.
Now before all the nationals go waving there sticks in the air saying “ah well they’re splitting their party and cant work together”. Dafydd Ellis Thomas also said that Plaid politicians relish opposition and don’t seem to understand that politics is about responsibility.
http://www.blackwoodlabour.org.uk
Allan: Good to see the ` new order` accepting that Nigel is NOT a divisive influence on local Labour politics, but, that he is an influence for good, good for internal labour politicians to `get it right`, good for opening up the political decisions to public scutiny by offering a refreshing way forward to create an inclusive brand of politics in the Caerphilly borough Council Chamber, and, good for the electorate in that he is not afraid to be critical of his own parties political style and operation in not always falling in line with things he feels have an alternative dimension, always having the interests of his constituents in mind, not always the case with other elected members.
It is good to see a `new order` emerging`.
Allan you can heap praise on Nigel dix all you like but the fact of the matter is that this is the first time that Nigel has talked any sense and started listening to constituents. For years he harped on about Blackwood gate whilst having no concern for the empty Sommerfield store. Constituents like myself kept asking for facilities like a cinema I even posted on the argus comments page the pugh auction site where the maxime was up for sale and luckily Steve Reynolds saw it was up for sale aswell and the rest is history. What are you two going to do to attract someone to the sommerfield store in Blackwood?
Jan sorry for the late response. I have an idea for the town and for the old Somerfield site. Something that will fulfil a need for the public as well as be sustainable. However I can’t do it on my own as it will be a community business and need people to run it. Contact me via our website by either telephone or email if you’re interested.
http://www.blackwoodlabour.org.uk
Allan if your idea is good then I would gladly put it out there via social media and support it in that way but my physical health is very poor at this time I have four spinal discs giving me immense pain and I have a cyst in my head that gives me chronic headaches. I have very limited mobility aswell. However, I look forward to hearing what you have in mind for the somerfield site. Did you know that on facebook there is a page dedicated to getting “next” into blackwood?
over the past 6 years I have been in constant contact with the owners of the retail park and I can inform you that Next were asked on several occasions if they were interested in coming to Blackwood Gate and the answer was no . You have little or knowledge yet you can not stop yourself talking about things you do understand ,
Blackwood gate has delivered jobs , if you can remember in the election I promised to over turn Plaids refusal to grant planning consent, I delivered that , oh and it was the people of Blackwood that asked me to fight for jobs at Blackwood Gate , you are just one loan voice of malcontent
Blackwood has had enough spent on it , they now need to finish what they started in bargoed to try and get people back there bargoed was probably one of the busiest towns in south wales when the collierys were running since then I don’t know how its survived , turning it into a pedestrian town as killed it off along with council rates for shops .it really needs this cinema to try to kick start the heart of bargoed , or I fear it is doomed so come welsh office dig deep and finish what you started and give the residents of this fantastic town a fighting chance3
Cara what planet are you on Bargoed has had 90 million to date from Caerphilly cbc. Some people are never satisfied. Blackwood has had NOTHING!! Blackwood to risca has had NOTHING from Caerphilly cbc, no facilities for the young, old and disabled. Come off it.