Caerphilly Council scraps Bargoed cinema plans after mounting opposition

Caerphilly County Borough Council has scrapped plans to build a multi-million pound cinema in Bargoed after mounting pressure over the cost of the project.

Original plans for the cinema emerged in 2010 as part of the Bargoed regeneration scheme, but concerns about rising costs forced the council to consider a new business case.

Councillors were angry after it was revealed the cinema would cost £7 million with a lease to Odeon possibly not covering the cost of a £4m loan needed to build the cinema.

Council leader Keith Reynolds has now told the Bargoed Town Centre Management Group that the scheme would cost £8.4 million, leaving a shortfall of £1.5 million.

The Labour councillor said: “To date we have invested around £90m in various regeneration projects for Bargoed thanks to significant Welsh Government and European funding contributions. These include numerous land reclamation schemes, the new Bargoed by-pass and a variety of town centre projects designed to bring business and jobs into the town.

“Some of the major schemes have been the refurbishment of the Hanbury Chapel as a new library and Customer First Centre, the opening of a new Morrisons superstore and a number of other new retail units; improvements to car parking, an improved park and ride facility near the railway station, relocation of the Council’s Contact Centre into part of the former Woolworths store and over £9m worth of improvements to the general environment of the town.

“I am disappointed that the cinema project has not been able to proceed, but we will continue to press on with plans to build on the success of the regeneration strategy for the town.”

Caerphilly Observer reported last week that rebel councillors were calling for a new business case to be published.  The scheme was also criticised after a private cinema opened in Blackwood.

Blackwood Labour councillor, Allan Rees, said: “I think it’s a sensible and prudent move to halt the building of a cinema, particularly when the company in mind for the cinema could afford to build one themselves.

“Getting the tax payer involved in such risk at such a financially precarious time would be foolish.”

Cllr Nigel Dix, who was threatened with suspension from the Labour group for his vocal opposition to the Bargoed cinema, welcomed the announcement.

He said: “I did get a lot of pressure and they did try to kick me out of the Labour group, but my colleagues were a lot wiser than the whips.

“I had concerns for the last 12 months about us proceeding with the cinema, with the cuts and a cinema opening in Blackwood.

“There was a determination to take it into fruition by the cabinet but things have changed drastically since 2010.

“In drawing a new business plan they realised it was not only unaffordable but undesirable. Now the £1.9m million can be put into other services that are under pressure.

“What we need to do now is work with private developers and make Bargoed attractive for them to spend their money there.”

Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly Council, said: “It must be a huge disappointment for people in Bargoed that the project is not going ahead. The cinema was planned by the previous Plaid administration to complete the huge programme of improvements to Bargoed and was financially feasible at the time.

“A change in circumstances – the rising costs and the cuts to council funding – have made this decision inevitable. It would not have been right to go ahead with the cinema development when cuts are having to be made in services across the county borough and further cuts will take place in future years.

“However, the Labour administration kept the people of Bargoed in suspense for far too long before announcing this decision. It has been suggested to me that this was for electoral reasons but they will have to explain to the public.”