Residents share hopes that a new cinema will breathe life into the town centre. Work is being done to turn the former House of Fraser, located in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre into a cinema-bowling complex.
Holly, 22 from Moldgreen is a frequent film watcher, going to the cinema every week. The Odeon where she usually goes isn’t the most accessible place, an opinion shared by many residents in Huddersfield. “I don’t know any bus routes to [the Odeon], so it’s always a really long walk, which is quite difficult because one of my friends that I go with is quite disabled. So when it comes to walking there, it’s lots of breaks, it’s a long journey. If something was closer that would be great.”
Sharon, a mum from Huddersfield says, “I think [the cinema is] a good thing for the town centre. It will be better, I think it will bring more people to the town centre, especially [in the] evening.”
The new complex will be operated by British independent cinema chain The Light, which already operates 12 cinemas across the country. The cinema will consist of six cinema screens and will also have 10 bowling alleys. More leisure activities and food options will be revealed closer to the opening of the venue. All these activities will be spread across two floors.
Keith Pullinger, founder of The Light said: “We are thrilled to be opening in Huddersfield and offering the residents a great place to engage in fun activities and experience exceptional cinema. Our spaces are known and loved for offering somewhere to bring friends and family together, providing entertainment whatever the occasion.”
The cinema complex is an addition to the £250m Huddersfield Blueprint project, which is a ten-year plan to enliven and expand on the culture offered in Huddersfield to its residents and visitors. The restoration of the George Hotel is listed as another part of the project. The cinema’s proximity to the town centre will certainly be easier for visitors and new residents to find. “It’d be great for students, especially when you’re getting to know the area,” says Holly. According to Staista, people aged 15-24 are the most likely to go to the cinema, so students are definitely a key target for customers at the cinema-bowling complex.
The cinema-complex is due to be completed by September 2024.
Tweet: I wrote about the new cinema-bowling complex that’s in progress in the Huddersfield Town Centre, click the link for more information.