Glimmer of hope for mothballed cinema
A RUNCORN cinema mothballed because of the coronavirus pandemic might reopen at some point in future, its owner has said.
Cineworld on Trident Retail Park has been shut since the nation went into lockdown in March and its decision to remain closed while other branches reopened on July 31 raised fears the closure would become permanent.
Concerns were heightened because the chain had removed the Runcorn cinema from its online locations list.
The uncertainty prompted the area’s Labour Mike Amesbury MP to write to
Cineworld to ask why it was shut, and the company told him it was ‘not viable’ to open the cinema due to its rent requirements.
Mr Amesbury had called for Cineworld and its landlords to reach a compromise to keep the venue open. Ryan Stewart, a member of staff at Cineworld Runcorn, launched a petition calling for the cinema, Trident Retail Park and civic leaders to find a solution, reaching more than 2,300 signatures at time of writing on Friday.
An updated statement issued by Cineworld suggested the branch had been mothballed because of the economic downturn from the pandemic and could reopen when profits pick up.
A Cineworld spokesman said: “Cineworld has not taken any decision to close Cineworld Runcorn.
“We are in conversations with the landlord regarding our current terms, which we feel are unreasonable, and are hoping to re-open once the matter has been resolved.
“But for the timebeing, especially during this pandemic, we are unable to open the cinema and operate it at a profitable level.”