Daventry Town Centre Vision Site 1: Cinema development proposal
The Council is working with design and build contractors Willmot Dixon and architects Marchini Curran Associates on plans to build a new cinema and restaurants in the centre of Daventry by summer 2020.
The latest designs show how the 3-4 screen cinema with two restaurants/bars would be built on the current site of Daventry Library, which would be relocated to modern new premises within the nearby Abbey Resource Centre in St John’s Square.
The Council is continuing discussions with a range of cinema operators and working with commercial advisors to help appoint a preferred operator for the scheme, with the option to build a cinema with either three or four screens, depending on requirements.
DDC is also working with Northamptonshire County Council Libraries Service to progress the Daventry Library relocation to the Abbey by April 2019.
This scheme does not need planning permission, but building regulations will need to be approved before work starts in the New Year on transforming the ground floor into modern new library premises.
Consultation
Residents, businesses and community groups were asked their views on the proposal during a consultation which ran from 15-28 October.
This was carried out by means of a survey available online and at the Council offices. Three drop-in consultation events were also held at Daventry Library. Download the cinema proposal consultation document
Background
In May 2018 the Council approved a budget of £8.2 million to fund the development of the site north of Daventry High Street, known as Town Centre Vision Site 1 which will include a new cinema, bars and restaurants.
The Council decided to build the cinema itself and not to extend its development agreement for the site with Henry Boot Developments Ltd (HBDL), which has been unable to bring forward the larger Mulberry Place shopping centre and cinema development due to the scheme’s financial viability.
HBDL will continue to focus on progressing the new retail park and hotel on land at Waterloo/Gasworks/Chaucer Way (known as TCV Site 5) which is also due for completion in 2020.
Find out about other regeneration schemes:
Site 5 Retail development
Educational facilities
Abbey Retail Park
iCon Innovation Centre
Improving community facilities