Paignton cinema funding package agreed

Call for council unity to complete historic restoration

Opposing political parties on Torbay Council have been urged to put their differences to one side in a bid to save a long-running restoration project.

The Paignton Picture House Trust has come to the council with an appeal for financial help to complete a £9 million restoration of Agatha Christie’s favourite cinema.

The Arts Council has funds earmarked for the project, which is already half-done, but is waiting for the trust to come up with its part of the package.

Now escalating costs and the effects of last year’s spiralling inflation mean the trust needs help to underwrite its efforts and unlock the Arts Council funding.

If the council says yes, £900,000 in government regeneration funds will be allocated to the project, and the council will also agree to underwrite the trust to the tune of £1.6 million as it continues with its own fundraising efforts.

The aim is to screen films for the first time in more than a quarter of a century  in 2026. The building will also have a cafe and community spaces as part of the regeneration of Paignton’s Torbay Road.

“This is a great news story,” said council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston), and he said councillors had choices to make.

“We can say we don’t want to do anything about this, or we can embrace the opportunity to say that we are going to make a difference for Paignton. Will councillors be supportive of Paignton, or will they just see the Paignton Picture House wither and die?”

The financial deal will see the local authority, the trust and the Arts Council enter a three-way partnership, but Cllr Swithin Long (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) asked how much input the trust would continue to have.

“This doesn’t scream ‘partnership’ to me,” he said.

Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) said it is about using the council’s expertise to help bring the cinema back to life. And, he added: “If we are putting in £1.6 million in underwriting, we have to have greater involvement than we had before. It is taxpayers’ money.

“The question is, do we step in to help them or do we walk away. I think we should step in.”

The cabinet agreed unanimously to support the cinema project, which will be debated again by the full council on Thursday 5 December.