New £9.6m cinema opening delayed as there isn’t enough space to sell snacks

Merlin Cinemas described a “minor hiccup at the last hurdle” in respect of the £9.6m facility on the town’s seafront. But councillors questioned why the apparent flaw in the design had not been identified earlier and the potential cost of the required alterations, while some residents were equally perturbed.

Merlin said the cinema’s foyer only contained a reception desk, as opposed to a proper box office and sales counter and the changes required would delay the opening by “a week or two”.

Redcar and Cleveland Council, which commissioned the cinema as a replacement for the original Regent which closed in 2018, said minor alterations to accommodate the operator was always expected and had been budgeted for.

Councillor Billy Wells, an independent who represents the Newcomen ward on the council, said: “The front entrance area where they intend to sell the popcorn and sweets isn’t big enough, crazy isn’t it? So there are alterations to be done already, which doesn’t bode well. It’s an oversight really, but surprisingly it hasn’t been picked up before now.”

Coun Wells said he was concerned about the bill to the public purse and was also pressing the council for more details of its contract with Merlin.

Coatham ward Councillor Carl Quartermain said it seemed some “glaring basic mistakes were made in the design” and also questioned the cost of any changes that were required. He said the bar area at the new cinema had also been described as “tiny” and being without a cold cellar.

He said: “Why wasn’t any of this picked up at the planning and consultation stage and why did the cabinet member sign it off without a quality control audit, paying attention to these important details?”

In a Facebook post Merlin said: “There was no space for all the modern cinema snacks that patrons now love. All there really was room for was one ticket terminal and maybe a few bags of confectionery.”

The company also said the reception desk was “right by the automatic doors meaning that anyone in the queue would cause the doors to keep swinging open, which would be really unpleasant for waiting patrons in the height of winter”.

It said: “So we are working with the council to relocate this area to the other end of the foyer in what otherwise would have been a manager’s office. It’s a better location as it’s right next to the screen entrance doors, the ground floor washrooms and the lift to the first floor. Merlin will supply all the equipment, we just need the council to provide the space.”

A spokesman for the council said: “The Regent will be a major asset for the whole borough and we are delighted to have an experienced, well-regarded national operator in Merlin. We are working closely with the operator and can confirm that we will be making alterations to the lobby.”

The new cinema has three screens and can seat up to 200 people and also includes a licensed bar with spectacular sea views and an events space for the public to use.