Fareham Council has confirmed its objection to plans for a new nine-screen cinema in Whiteley claiming it could threaten trade in Locks Heath and Fareham.
Fareham Borough Council’s planning committee decided the multiplex cinema earmarked for a site next to the £64m shopping centre would be out of scale with the redevelopment of the site and its night time trade could have a negative impact on Locks Heath Shopping Centre and Fareham Town Centre.
An artist impression of the Cineworld cinema at Whiteley
A report by planning officers said the cinema would be “likely to have a serious detrimental impact” on Fareham’s five-screen cinema, the town centre’s evening trade, as well as that at the Locks Heath District Centre.
But two Fareham councillors voted in favour of the cinema development and told The Gazette after the meeting it would provide healthy competition and a variety of films to the community.
Fareham East Councillor Paul Whittle, whose ward covers the Fareham town centre and its cinema, said: “I don’t have a problem with it. It’s a helpful economic development. It is in keeping with what the local people need and want. If the local people really didn’t want to see a cinema they would have told us.
“I’ve heard the council object because it is competition for the town centre in Fareham. It’s far enough away from the centre – it’s serving a different community. I don’t think it would take people away. The town centre attracts it’s own throughput of night time economy.
“We owe it to the residents of the western part of the borough that they have a similar good facility. I used to live in Whiteley and I would use it if I was still there.”
Councillor Roger Price, Portchester ward, said: “It would give people more variety of films. All cinemas seen to put on different films at different times so if people don’t catch it in one place they have the opportunity to go somewhere else.”
Whiteley Co-ownership Trust, which owns the shopping centre redevelopment, has applied to Winchester City Council for planning permission for the 26,000 sq ft multiplex with 1,416 seats.
The cinema, to be operated by Cineworld, would overlap with the catchment area of the cinema in Fareham town centre by 80 per cent. Seven Fareham councillors voted for the objection to the plans and two voted against.
Planning committee chairman, Councillor Nick Walker, said: “It will draw people away from Fareham and possibly even Southampton.It does not make cinema-sense. Cinemas have been struggling. We don’t want a glut of a cinemas that cause others to close down, that’s my personal opinion.”
Whiteley Parish Council Chairman Mike Evans said: “Fareham’s objection is not unexpected. But we’ve made our decision and we will stand by it.
“We’ve got the majority of the Whiteley residents that have approached us that are in favour of it. We believe it’s in the best interests of Whiteley residents and, of course, when the north of Whiteley comes on board.”
The cinema complex could include further restaurants, bars and leisure and community uses, such as a crèche, health club, bowling or a children’s indoor play facility on its ground floor. But these have not yet been confirmed.
If approved, the cinema would be open until 12.30am from Monday to Thursday and until 2am on Fridays, Saturdays and those Sundays before a Bank Holiday Monday. Then building work could begin in February 2014 and be in operation in May 2015.
The decision on whether the cinema will get the go-ahead rests with Winchester City Council.