Reel earmarks 2019 for Blackburn cinema opening

Reel is targeting the end of 2019 to open its latest cinema, on the former site of the Waves Water Fun Centre on Nab Lane in Blackburn.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has submitted a planning application for the £6.8m redevelopment of the plot, which would be turned into an eight-screen cinema, with two restaurant and bar units. The scheme includes a 100-space underground car park.

Reel has a 20-year lease on the site, and is planning to deliver a programme of films that will span Hollywood, Bollywood and independent releases.

Earlier this week, the council announced that it had created a construction framework, which would be used to procure contractors for commercial developments. The companies on the list include Barnfield Construction, Casey, Eric Wright Group, I&H Brown, and Seddon. The cinema project will be one of the first to come under the framework, which is set to operate for a minimum of four years.

A contractor appointment is due to take place this year to enable a start on site, with completion due at the end of next year.

The Blackburn site would be the latest in Reel’s rapid regional expansion; the operator has also signed for units at Rochdale Riverside, Kirkby town centre, and Chorley’s Market Walk.