Deal struck in £30m multiplex proposal

MILL QUARTER: Site will boast a cinema, shops and restaurants

Council officers have cleared the way for a £30 million cinema and shopping complex which could revolutionise Perth’s nightlife.

The long-awaited Mill Quarter development is earmarked for Thimblerow, on the edge of the city centre. Developers are poised to lodge detailed proposals for the project, after Perth and Kinross Council struck a deal for the land.

The new scheme, which will create about 150 jobs, is expected to bring an extra 300,000 people into the city each year.

But there are already worries that the Mill Quarter multiplex may have a negative impact on Perth’s existing Playhouse cinema.

If approved, the quarter could open its doors in early 2019.

A deal has been struck to pave the way for a massive £30 million cinema and shopping complex on the edge of Perth city centre.

Council chiefs have finalised negotiations over land at Thimblerow, which is earmarked for the highly anticipated Mill Quarter development.

The project aims to deliver a radical boost to Perth’s flagging nightlife and could bring an extra 300,000 people into the city each year.

An application for planning permission is now being prepared by developers Expresso Property and is likely to be submitted in the coming weeks.

The company has released a new image of how the building could look.

The new deal, which was confirmed during a private meeting of the strategic policy and resources committee, will also see the council take control of the site’s 201-space multi-storey car park.

However, the project has triggered worries about Perth’s existing Playhouse cinema.

Residents took to social media to raise concerns about the possible impact on the city centre multi-screen.

A council spokeswoman said: “We believe there is enough demand for both (cinemas) as we’ve noticed people from this area are travelling to Dundee, Stirling and elsewhere to go to the pictures.

“This new cinema will be aimed at targeting these people, to persuade them to stay in Perth. The car park will be replacing the spaces that are already there and will be able to accommodate people using the new facilities.”

She said councillors welcomed an update on progress of the development, which was first announced last year.

“The site, which is being developed by Expresso Property and will be known as the Mill Quarter, will establish a mix of restaurants, speciality shops, a multiscreen cinema, housing and a multistorey car park,” the spokeswoman said.

The council confirmed that Expresso are “now close to finalising a detailed planning application”.

“Committee members have also backed proposals for the council to lease and manage the 201-space multi-storey car park within the site,” the council’s spokeswoman added.

“In line with recent renovations to South Inch and Canal Street car parks, the new 201-space Mill Quarter car park will follow the pay-on-exit model.”

A spokesman for Expresso Property said: “We are delighted that our scheme at the Mill Quarter has now got the goahead from Perth and Kinross Council and with their support, we look forward to pushing forward as soon as possible.

“Providing a major new leisure facility for the city, comprising a state of the art cinema with restaurants, over 200 parking spaces and 58 apartments, we hope to be in the position to submit a planning application during the next few months, targeting a scheme opening late spring 2019.”

Expresso says it has already received inquiries from several big-name traders about setting up at Thimblerow.

The site ... will establish a mix of restaurants, speciality shops, a multi-screen cinema, housing and amultistorey car park

An artist’s impression of how the new development, which could be completed as early as 2019, will look.

Picture: Kris Miller. Expresso Property has released images for public view of what the new complex might look like. These were on show at the Mercure Hotel, Perth.