Bognor's last-ditch bid to save Picturedrome cinema

The cinema's fate hangs in the balance as the lease for its present film-operating tennant Adam Cunard expires in just two weeks' time, leaving many residents fearing its loss.

Bognor Regis Town Council now faces strong competition from private investors to secure the Grade II listed building '“ which was last month turned down by Arun planners for conversion into flats.

Owner of the venue, the Bognor Pier Company, is eager to secure a quick sale.

But from the original asking price of 400,000 its agents have dramatically upped its value by 25 per cent to 600,000 amid recent property value increases.

The town council is now in negotiation for a revised valuation and can secure a preferential local authority loan of up to 500,000, available at presently-low Bank of England interest rates.

Underlining the venue's recent revival in popularity is a Facebook group which now has well over 3,000 members supporting its survival.

Speaking about the cinema's fate, director of the Picturedrome Electric Theatre Company, Mr Cunard expressed his hopes to gain a long-term extension for lease of the property.

He said: "We've had phenomenal support from people who want to see this kept as a cinema with more than 500 letters of complaint against plans to turn it into flats, which was really good to see.

"Too often people mourn the loss of small cinemas once they are gone, but at least people here are trying to do something while they still can."

Mr Cunard, who also operates a similar-sized cinema in Dorchester, added: "We want to know what the future of the building is and hope it can be saved as it has been very stressful for me and the staff with so much uncertainty surrounding it.

"If it goes it will affect the night-time economy of the town.

"The money the business makes is negligible. We've put a massive amount into investing in the building and it barely provides a living wage.

"Its rent has been 16,000 a year and some people have just gone and done calculations that we are making money, a lot of money from it, which is not the case."

Paul Beckerson, project officer at Bognor Regis Town Council, confirmed its interest in buying the Victorian building as a vital part of the area's heritage.

He said: "We are hoping to meet with the owners of the building within the next week. We're hopeful we can gain a positive outcome on this providing it is at the right price.

"We would have to take out a loan to do this '“ which we could do under the public bodies loan system under which authorities can borrow up to 500,000 over 50 years. We are hoping to buy it as it will be a good asset to the community.

"Our negotiations are still ongoing, but there seems to be a difference of opinion between the agents and what the owners want for it. We do not believe it is worth 600,000 with the work that needs doing on it."

West Sussex County Councillor and Bognor resident Francis Oppler also hoped the cinema could be preserved for the town.

He said: "I have many happy memories of going there as a young person and a building of its character should be preserved."

Josephine Carter, a director of the Bognor Regis Pier Company, explained the property had been partly in her family's hands for generations.

She said: "The building is for sale, so it is really up to purchasers whether they continue to let it be leased as a cinema, which would be nice, but I can see that in this day and age it may not be possible to afford to do this.

"The council has expressed an interest in buying it, but there are also investors interested, too."

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