Boss of Tollgate Village cinema chain The Light says residents should be excited

Looking past the numbing and inevitable sight of the climbing death toll, we can speculate on the impact on business and the UK economy.

Tentatively looking towards the easing of lockdown measures, the cinema industry is hoping to bounce back.

High-profile summer releases have been pushed back but there has always been a certain inevitability in people stepping out to take in a film.

Government guidance confirms cinemas won’t be permitted to open until July 4 at the earliest, with the industry firmly placed in the last of three phases to start reopening businesses.

As part of the £70million Tollgate Village development, in Stanway, The Light cinema chain will build a 1,200-seat, eight-screen complex.

Work on The Light is due to start later this year, with completion expected at the end of 2021.

Keith Pullinger, the company’s founder and deputy chairman, predicts cinemas will remain as popular as ever when people are granted more freedom.

“People coming out of their homes and enjoying things collectively is what drives cinema and I don’t see the fundamentals of that changing,” he said.

“Of course, we will adapt to any social distancing rules.

“Our business is always evolving, film and technology change, but overall we give people a great night out.

“That will be different maybe in ten years to what it is now, but if you keep the experience at the heart of your business and focus on what’s important to people, then cinema has got a strong future.

“We are looking at what measures we need to take when we reopen, which is likely to be mid-summer.

“There are some really good movies lining up for the tail end of this year, we have got a new Bond movie and the Top Gun sequel for a start, so once we get over this period, there will be a lot of people excited to come out and see a great film.”

As of 2018, there are 775 cinemas in the UK, up from 668 in 2002.

Going out to see a film remains a popular social experience, despite the advent of streaming services.

It isn’t the film itself, it is the experience of leaving the house, meeting with friends, family or a date, and sharing a few hours together.

The industry is not immune to change, however, and the coronavirus crisis is change on an extreme scale.

“It is difficult now and there will be a lot of sectors that are going to have casualties and that probably includes some cinemas,” said Mr Pullinger.

“But The Light is robust and well-funded.

“Covid-19 is not going to derail our plans to keep opening new cinemas, because we understand the markets and work with people to create the right offers, so we are optimistic.

“People have been spending more of their income on experiences, rather than products and that’s the market we are in; giving people a great experience.

“It has to be done well and it has to be with attention to the customer needs, but I don’t see that the cinema has anything but a good future as long as we move with the times and listen to what our customers want.”

The Light, which has been operating for 13 years and has ten cinemas across the UK, with four more in the pipeline, has an ambition to reach 20 outlets in the next three years.

Colchester has its mainstay Odeon, in Head Street, and the Curzon, in Queen Street, which screens independent gems alongside new releases.

But Mr Pullinger wants to offer an even greater wealth of choice.

“I have been in the business for most of my career, worked for big cinema companies and opened cinemas across the world, so I understand it,” he said.

“I think there are still a number of potential locations in the UK for us to look at, because a lot of other cinemas are not meeting what people want from the experience, which is why we are interested in Colchester.

“The town doesn’t have a really interesting, modern facility that shows a broad range of films.

“We always want to ensure there is content that appeals to a wide audience, rather than just concentrating on Hollywood films.

“We play all the main blockbusters, but we also like to introduce more interesting and challenging films, event cinema, live streaming of theatre, opera, ballet and more.”

Expected to create around 50 jobs, the cinema will be built alongside a bowling alley.

The new cinema complex will form the heart of the leisure hub to the south of Tollgate West, Stanway.

The area will also include restaurants and shops, extensive landscaping and a plaza.

Once complete, Tollgate Village will be a 30,812 sq m retail and leisure park made up primarily of shops at Tollgate Retail Park and the old Sainsbury’s site.

This zone, to the north of Tollgate West road, will be the main shopping area.

Plans for Tollgate Village were twice refused by Colchester Council, but the scheme eventually got the go-ahead when the Secretary of State granted outline planning permission in 2017.

The development then faced a High Court challenge from Fenwick, along with Lion Walk Shopping Centre, but this too was rejected in December 2017.

Detailed plans were finally rubber stamped by the council in November 2019.

Mr Pullinger’s two cents on Tollgate Village?

“A lot of developments that are passed by us are not thought through properly and are with people who are trying to develop something and move on, whereas clearly in Tollgate the ownership are treating their development plan with care,” he said.

“The location is excellent and the catchment is good and when you get all of those three things coming together, that’s what we are looking for.”