Bid to turn cinema site into storage unit rejected

The Odeon on Rigby Road closed in June 2023 when its lease came to an end

The future of a former cinema site remains uncertain after developers lost a planning appeal to transform it into a self-storage facility.

The Odeon on Rigby Road in Blackpool closed in June 2023 when its lease came to an end.

Developers had hoped to revamp the empty building and were seeking a storage site operator to move in - but council planners said keeping the building for "leisure use" was preferable.

They refused to grant permission for the change of use and their decision was upheld by an independent planning inspector following an appeal hearing on 4 September.

The decision stated the proposal would contravene the authority's policies surrounding employment land and would not generate the same footfall as leisure attractions.

'Very different'

Preston-based Austringer Capital, now operating as AIM Land Ltd, had argued there was demand for the facility.

But the planning inspector said: “The self-storage use would operate very differently to the cinema use and neighbouring leisure uses.

"It would be unlikely to generate high levels of activity and footfall in the way that leisure use of the building would.”

The inspector threw out the appeal and concluded it would “be contrary to the council’s regeneration objectives".

He also questioned whether there was demand for a new self-storage facility when a proposed operator - Storage King - had not gone ahead with plans to extend its existing site on Clifton Road.