There was a special Town Council Meeting this evening to consider the lease of the Abbey Cinema, which, if not renewed within 25 working days, would lead to the closure of the cinema.
Given the slow progress in negotiations over recent months, this might have seemed a Mission Impossible before the meeting.
This is the first time a Town Council meeting has been held in St Nicolas Church. Many townspeople were expected to support the cinema, so the venue was moved from the Old Magistrates Court to the church.
The new Town Council faced the audience and listened to questions and statements from the audience for about 25 minutes. Ian Wiper, the cinema owner, began by saying that since starting the cinema in 2018, it has been given three short-term leases, and they need a long-term lease to allow investment in the building and the cinema to continue. Since a meeting in August 2022, little progress has been made in negotiations, and since February 2023, the Town Council lawyer has been waiting for instructions.
A number of groups who used the cinema then stood up to support the cinema. They included ATOM, The Arts Society Abingdon with 350 members, and The Abingdon Film Club (which uses the Roysse Room).
One person said that the cinema was a big draw to the town centre and without it, more people would go to Oxford and Didcot. Another person said that The Guildhall had been empty before the cinema arrived and could be empty again without a cinema.
Councillor Jim Halliday responded for the Town Council, saying they all wanted the cinema to continue. But, as a council, they needed to be careful entering into a long-term lease for a community asset when negotiating with a commercial organisation. He mentioned the Upper Reaches as an example of a long-term lease that ended badly. He said that after the public meeting, the council would discuss a Guildhall Property Report in a confidential session. The Guildhall needed big investment for energy efficiency requirements as a public building and possibly needed a new roof, which would be expensive.
Councillor Halliday said he would propose that a team of councillors with knowledge of the cinema meet the cinema owners on Friday, having agreed to the property report. His proposal was applauded. An agreement could still be possible in time.
The meeting was well managed by the new Mayor, Councillor Gwyneth Lewis, and the audience left at that point, happier than they had come in.
There was then a matter of council business. The Mayor then proposed that councillors attend main council and committee meetings in person from now on. Since Covid, there have been some hybrid meetings with councillors attending virtually. After some discussion, this was agreed.
The council then went into the confidential session to discuss the property report.
This all seems good news…
Let’s hope their secret little meeting proved equally positive.
why the need for a secret meeting, council should be up front and transparent, we all know what the outcome will be, more meetings till the deadline runs out, what have the council got to hide
Maybe it’s that they’re paying their solicitors a day rate?
Are they really conflating the stupidly long lease on The Upper Reaches – and no doubt all the paucity of legal recourse …to a “long lease” for the cinema?
I hope they are applying such thorough and due diligence on getting free heating for the outdoor pool…
Speaking with someone I know. Certain sections of the meeting are in private. confidential. The meeting for cinema was held in a larger venue. Council are open to keepung the cinema open. they know that a massive investment is needed on the building. which they are prepared to do. this will require the building to close. for months. Electrics need update. new lift and access needs to be sorted. roof and fabric of building. and modernise everything.
the whole argument is a long term lease. The Upper Reaches and the 99 year lease. the building is tied up and nothing can be done as it rots. Plans were in place to turn into a conference area. another flats aparments were rumoured.
A ten year lease would give the cinema owner some options for investment and would allow the Council some measure of control. Is it so hard to negotiate?
expensive, maybe, experts have to be employed. I think its the added costs involved. solicitors, building experts. a lot of expensive works required on building. Landlord tennant respinsibilities. how much money both parties have to invest. £ last estimate was £100,000 per year. Most lukely treble that. today.
Upper Reaches and the 99 year lease is always quoted. and the state that building is in.
The landlird may have to sell the building. if costs rise any higher.
Deja vu all over again. Council not being able to make their minds up again. We’ve been here before.
The comments follow the simple narrative that assumes that the council is at fault. I understand why people are led to believe this after so many years of central government running down the public sector. However there are two sides to everything. Do those pontificating really know that the council is at fault or is this a lazy assumption? What about the cinema operators? Easy to keep knocking the council…
Central government has absolutely nothing to do with it. What a slightly odd thing to amalgamate the two. Anyway….
Most of our pontificating is the result of years upon years of experience….
I agree that there are two sides to every story. The operators have not held back in telling us theirs …
not hearing the full story. from both parties. only rumours and local press.
Speaking with a friend who is on ” The Council” the whole matter is stressing everyone and not helped by rumours. they just need to quietly resolve the “issues involved”.
Sorry, I can’t see any pontificating. Some exasperation, some uncertainty. If the Council doesn’t communicate, then citizens have some reason to feel that they are being kept in the dark.
As Daniel comments, this is nothing to do with central government. This is a local issue. Of course, the Council feels concerned about offering very long term leases in the light of events (or non-events) at the Upper Reaches. Of course, negotiations may need to be confidential. Nonetheless, it surely ought not to be so difficult to come to an agreement about the cinema. The cinema owner wants to continue – unlike the lease holders of the Upper Reaches. There is no question of somebody wanting to close things down and sit on and unused space; quite the contrary.
I hope that the confidential session about the Guildhall didn’t put a brake on the Friday meeting. At the very least, it ought to be possible to update local people about that.
A very reasonable response to my comments which i largely agree with PPJS.
However just read my comment re central government again. I probably put it badly. I know central government is not involved. My point was that government over many years – through lack of funding and unsubtle criticism has undermined local government so residents are predisposed against anything councils say or do. Having said that the local council in Abingdon has again been re-elected with a massive majority so clearly the residents have confidence in the councillors.
I understand your frustration Daniel but look up the food chain and see how council powers have been eroded over the last 40 years or so by Westminster… you clearly care for Abingdon and so you should consider standing for the council next time.
Fair point Freddie, and I agree that local councils are having to survive in the tid bits they get thrown by central government.
Re standing…there’s no point unless every ward has electable independents standing. Without a majority I doubt its worth much. Plus, I wouldn’t be allowed to do what I’d want to do – for example, no meetings would be held behind closed door. Also, i don’t really want to be a councillor.
I would be eager to have free heating for the outdoor pool though, so it could be open all year.
Isn’t it still heated with a boiler. Gas or Oil. Was there a plan to fit both Photo Voltaic Solar Panels and
Solar Heating panels. But costs couldn’t be raised.?.
thats both the cinema and swimming pool.