Major changes to plans for new cinema in Newmarket
There are now plans to set up a cinema in the town's Subscription Rooms
Last updated 1st Aug 2022
There's been a major change to plans for a new cinema in Newmarket, with council bosses walking away from a plan to build a multiplex at The Guineas shopping centre.
The project was first suggested in 2019, with a business case put forward for a 4-screen, 2-restaurant cinema - along with new car parking.
West Suffolk Council says post-pandemic that plan is no longer financially viable.
It is now working the The Jockey Club on an alternative scheme which would see a boutique cinema set up at the town's Grade II listed Subscription Rooms.
The space is currently being offered to let. Until 2016 it was home to the National Horseracing Museum.
Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council said: “Our aspiration to support Newmarket by helping to bring a cinema to the town remains firm, but we have been clear from the outset that it must be financially sustainable."
"That is now not possible with the scheme we have been exploring at the Guineas shopping centre due to a very significant deterioration in costs and income which means we need to look at new and alternative approaches.
"I’m pleased that we are sharing the learning and feasibility work we have undertaken with the Jockey Club as they explore options for the Subscription Rooms and we will remain engaged in those conversations as they take place.”
Amy Starkey, Managing Director of the East Region Jockey Club, said: “The Jockey Club’s home is Newmarket, and we are keen to play our part in the town’s future."
"We had some excellent feedback to our recent consultation on concepts for how that could look, with firm support for the idea of a boutique cinema in the Subscription Rooms.
"This is a Grade II listed building in the town centre that used to house the Horseracing Museum, and we are having some really constructive conversations with West Suffolk Council and potential operators on possible ways of converting it to a cinema.
"It is early days yet, but the Council’s advice and support to date has been most helpful."