Cinema

Ealing could have an 8 screen Picturehouse Cinema in 2017. Land Securities agreed the deal with the art house cinema company in early July. The cinema would seat 1,000 and be the largest in the 19 strong Picturehouse Cinema network. The deal depends upon a successful CPO recently served by Ealing Council on the site landowners. However, Empire Cinemas have now refinanced their own site (previously in the hands of administrators) and work on their own original cinema complex restarted in mid-July. Robert Gurd, Chairman of the Society, said “‘We can well understand why the Council has embarked upon the CPO process given the long delays in resolving the longstanding problems with the cinema site. But it may have been complicated as a result of Empire regaining control of their site and restarting work. Both Empire’s and Land Securities’ proposals have pros and cons but if Empire completed building work as originally scheduled this could possibly result in Ealing regaining a cinema earlier than envisaged under Land Securities’ scheme.” See the Council press release here.