Developers lose planning appeal to convert former Blackpool cinema

The future of a former Blackpool cinema site remains uncertain after developers lost their planning appeal against the council.

It had been hoped to convert the now-empty former Odeon Cinema on Rigby Road into a self-storage facility with an operator lined up.

But town hall planners refused to grant permission for the change of use, with their decision now upheld by an independent planning inspector following a planning appeal hearing held at Blackpool Town Hall on September 4.

A decision published by planning inspector M. Ollerenshaw says he cannot be satisfied “there is no prospect of the unit being used for leisure purposes or that the proposed use is the only viable one”.

He added there was “no compelling evidence” the building would become long-term vacant while he agreed with the council the proposal would contravene its policies surrounding employment land.

The Odeon – on Bloomfield Central (formerly Festival Leisure Park) – closed in June 2023 when its lease came to an end. Planning permission was granted for alternative leisure uses but the developer said despite marketing the property, it had failed to attract an operator.

However the planning inspector said the size of the unit meant it played “an important role in terms of the viability of the leisure park”.

He added: “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 the proposed operator Storage King had not gone ahead with plans to extend its existing site on Clifton Road in Blackpool.

Council planners had refused the application to convert the former 10-screen cinema into a self-storage facility because it contravened planning policies including those around employment areas.

But Preston-based Austringer Capital, now operating as AIM Land Ltd, had argued there was demand for the facility which  “will bring back into use vacant floorspace for which there is no identified demand for the current permitted uses (either cinema or leisure uses) in order to meet that need”.