The scaffolding on Newbury's new cinema is being taken down giving us a view of what the finished building will look like. The new cladding is slowly being revealed starting from the end nearest to Monty's.
All scaffolding is due to be removed by July 3rd when the road is expected to fully reopen to west and eastbound traffic. The cinema will then be handed over to Vue to fit out the seven screen interior. The cinema complex is expected to open to the public sometime during October.
The new bar and restaurants on the ground floor are not expected to open until January 2010.
Plus the ground breaking sci-fi movie Avatar and St Trinian’s 2009
As soon as the road is reopened, extensive work will be undertaken to renew all pavements in this area of Cheap Street and Market Street. The pedestrian crossing will be relocated from the Bus Station to the southern entrance of the cinema to improve pedestrian links between the Kennet Centre and Cheap Street. The roads will be completely resurfaced and a new taxi rank will be installed outside the Liquid Nightclub.
The cinema is expected to be subsidised by £100,000.00 per annum from the evening car parking charges recently introduced by West Berkshire Council. http://www.newbury.net/forum/m-1245081420/
It's the reason Avatar wasn't released in May. They haven't got enough projectors installed. All over the world they are trying to install the system as fast as possible and the idea is that at least one screen in every multiplex will have one by Christmas.
But it's costly and time consuming. The hope is that it will revolutionise the way movies are shot and viewed......that way they can get some of their 300 + 400 million+ production costs back as soon as possible. (or, it might just turn out to be a complete load of dingos kidneys....)
They had to come up with some sort of viewing gimmick which makes the experience different from watching on BluRay on the digital TV at home.
However, that said I believe 3D TV is almost with us now. It won't take the Niponese long to meet the next market challenge.
I took the grandchildrento the I Max in the science museum at Kensington last year and that was really impressive but it is a huge screen and a very large cinema. I wonder what it will look like in a 200 seater.
Will there be access to the Kennet Centre again, at this point, and are the public toilets still there?
According to the plans there will entrances from Cheap St and Market St - the ground floor will comprise 4 cafe/restaurants and a pub, the cinema will be above. The public toilets have almost certainly have been demolished early in the build. New toilets will be provided (in the area that used to be the walkway up from the bus station).
PS Just looked at the plans as amended in 2007 - where an additional retail unit (kiosk) has been added and the toilets moved under the ramp (ie pretty much where they were) in order to give a better proportioned cafe (Cafe/Restaurant Unit 5). I do like the nomenclature there is 'Cafe Restaurant Unit One' and 'New Kiosk Unit 1'.
Just drove by again today. I'm not holding my breath that the scaffolding will be down in a few days time. Looks as if there is still a long way to go yet with the cladding.
Just drove by again today. I'm not holding my breath that the scaffolding will be down in a few days time. Looks as if there is still a long way to go yet with the cladding.
Well, today they were going flat out so I may have to eat my words
Notice the difference in hight between the artists impression and the real thing! It seems as though the artist was trying to make it as low as possible. The frontage in reality is about 20% higher or more than the impression!
Phew! for a moment there I thought it wasn't going to blend in with it's surroundings. Threep.
Of course not, but the artist's impression follows the skyline, this thing doesn't and looks a lot more imposing. It is a feature that has had other projects rejected in planning; the racecourse for instance.
Yes I recall Factfile critcising the old hospital redevelopment for the difference between the drawing and the reality. You know what they say....people in glass cinemas....
Yes I recall Factfile critcising the old hospital redevelopment for the difference between the drawing and the reality. You know what they say....people in glass cinemas....
Did we really believe that the artist's impression would ever be to the same scale as the finished building. I think FF would have to agree that there is a discrepancy between the two. I wonder if the planning permission given for the overall height has been complied with. There have been instances of buildings in the West Berks area which have had a slightly higher roofline that planners agreed that have had to be corrected.
The 'artist' has been prevailed upon to make it look as though it is roughly the same height as the surrounding buildings....which it clearly aint.
Do we know the name of the artist, or the design group that employed them?
There was, if I remember correctly, a recent case against a travel company in which a Judge ruled that they could not hide behind the expression 'artists impression' if it was clearly designed mislead.
It seems that that is exactly what has happened here.
Well, today they were going flat out so I may have to eat my words
No, I don't have to eat my words, the side of the cinema is still cluttered with contractors fencing, debris and this morning a huge crane lifting things skywards. So, they've overrun, but fortunately kindly old WBC have another road closure notice in force that they can take cover behind. That is to make good footways and roadways. The work hasn't started yet and with all the clutter in the way, I'm not holding my breath for that one, it's already two weeks late starting.
looks great doesn't it - exactly the family orientated activity that Newbury needs. All we need now is for someone to keep the momentum going and demolish that "delightful" Kennet Centre.
If it was up the retail park, I would agree with you, but in that location, oversize and brash. Whatever were the planners thinking of to allow such a huge monstrosity to be built there.
I can forsee massive traffic problems as parents drop off and collect their kids from the front entrance blocking the highway.
By the way, if you think the cinema is great, why are you wanting the Kennet Shopping demolished.
Or did you forget your smiley in the above sentence.
the kennet centre is an eclectic mix of useless shops - it is dated and serves no purpose (poundland, a shop that sells peanuts, a jewellery place and a trinket shop) I can't even imagine how these places continue to trade in this climate.? Unfortunately i also have to disagree - the "retail park" exacerbates our traffic problem. Shops such as Borders, mothercare, a larger boots (and dixons) along with argos should all be placed in our town centre (with improved public transport and parking) not in a remote location on the edge of town. Fine for Tesco nothing else. These "real" planning crimes are what is killing trade in Newbury not new development/investment.
Unfortunately i also have to disagree - the "retail park" exacerbates our traffic problem. Shops such as Borders, mothercare, a larger boots (and dixons) along with argos should all be placed in our town centre (with improved public transport and parking) not in a remote location on the edge of town. Fine for Tesco nothing else. These "real" planning crimes are what is killing trade in Newbury not new development/investment.
I did not suggest for one second that the retail park was good for Newbury, but my view on the cinema is that it fits that location better than where it has been built.
All of the shops you mention by the way were or still are town centre shops, driven, if that's the right word, by market forces to trade on a retail park where the public can actually get to them to shop rather than trying to park and when they can, having to pay for the privilege to balance the council books.
No, I don't have to eat my words, the side of the cinema is still cluttered with contractors fencing, debris and this morning a huge crane lifting things skywards. ..
Brian, would you take a step back and consider how the contractors (bearing in mind Vue's contractors are also onsite now) could continue working on the development if they had to remove everything from the road? You have pointed out a problem that we are all aware of but what solution would you suggest?
Brian, would you take a step back and consider how the contractors (bearing in mind Vue's contractors are also onsite now) could continue working on the development if they had to remove everything from the road?
July 2nd 2009
"Following completion of the building work on Newbury's new cinema, West Berkshire Council have announced that the current road closure for Eastbound traffic will remain in force for a further 3 months. The road was due to reopen this weekend."
Was the building work completed on or before July 2nd....or not? Were WBC telling fibs? Was there an over-run?
"Following completion of the building work on Newbury's new cinema, West Berkshire Council have announced that the current road closure for Eastbound traffic will remain in force for a further 3 months. The road was due to reopen this weekend."
Was the building work completed on or before July 2nd....or not? Were WBC telling fibs? Was there an over-run? I think we should be told. Threep.
No WBC were not 'telling fibs'. Circumstances changed, which happens, especially on developments such as this one. A part of the building works were due to complete in July, if it were in total, the cinema would be ready now wouldn't it? Unlike other developments there is no spare room around the site. The movement of heavy equipment and the use of it to continue the work, plus the lack of space for materials (even though as much as possible is placed inside and on the service deck), is why it made sense to keep that side of the road closed.
No WBC were not 'telling fibs'. Circumstances changed,
Hmmm...
Quoted from 133
A part of the building works were due to complete in July, if it were in total, the cinema would be ready now wouldn't it?
Now, don't be silly. No-one expected it to be open, and we knew that the inside needed to be finished, but we did expect the road outside to be back to two-way traffic by now.. (as we were told it would be)
Why couldn't someone be just a bit more honest and stand up and say " look guys, it's all gone a bit Pete Tong we're gonna need a lttle bit more time...."
Unlike other developments there is no spare room around the site. The movement of heavy equipment and the use of it to continue the work, plus the lack of space for materials (even though as much as possible is placed inside and on the service deck), is why it made sense to keep that side of the road closed.
Nice try Steve but you'll forgive me for not rising to your misleading question. It's a tight space for 2 contractors to work in. When they are finished the location is perfect for the cinema.
PS As we have likened this forum to a pub many times before now - I'm just letting you know that I have only popped in for a couple of swift ones. No time for long, drawn out sessions ending in fisticuffs
Brian, would you take a step back and consider how the contractors (bearing in mind Vue's contractors are also onsite now) could continue working on the development if they had to remove everything from the road? You have pointed out a problem that we are all aware of but what solution would you suggest?
My vue on this is that the contractor agreed a date by which the cladding would be finished and the road would be handed back to the ratepayers. This didn't happen and I have every sympathy with their lack of space.... but that's what planning is about and if they have overrun, that is bad planning. I believe they have had their pound of flesh and we have been more than patient. By the contractors dragging it out, so to speak, the road improvements and reconstruction of the pavement is going to overrun as well. This is a commercial concern, albeit that WBC are hanging on the coat tails of the development, and I wonder if this was going on in London that they would have had this amount of concession.
My vue on this is that the contractor agreed a date by which the cladding would be finished and the road would be handed back to the ratepayers. This didn't happen and I have every sympathy with their lack of space.... but that's what planning is about
Yeah, but every project has a time-cost envelope and in this case they had clearly opted for longest time and lowest cost and STILL over-run. Of course WBC which was already over a barrel has little choice but to bend over again. I'm sure my family will benefit from the cinema, but at what cost to other traders in Newbury. Parking that's more expensive than Bath & a crew of old men in green that will happily ticket a disabled person but allows those driving through Northbrook Street go free. Of course there's revenue in the parking ticket, but none in the far worse crime of driving around barriers.
Parking that's more expensive than Bath & a crew of old men in green that will happily ticket a disabled person but allows those driving through Northbrook Street go free. Of course there's revenue in the parking ticket, but none in the far worse crime of driving around barriers.
I am no fan of the green men and the people who thought they were a viable proposition but I think you will find that they have no jurisdiction over moving traffic violations.
I am no fan of the green men and the people who thought they were a viable proposition but I think you will find that they have no jurisdiction over moving traffic violations.
You are probably correct, but I have seen them stop two motorists on Northbrook Street, but allow them to carry on.
The public toilets have almost certainly have been demolished early in the build. New toilets will be provided (in the area that used to be the walkway up from the bus station).
I do like the nomenclature there is 'Cafe Restaurant Unit One' and 'New Kiosk Unit 1'.
The entrance to the public toilets will be from the new mall area but takes up a similar space to where they were before. The former walkway houses the new substation and a retail unit. I think people will be very pleased with the toilet facilities. Very nice finishes, baby changing areas in both male and female toilets and a separate, state of the art, 'Changing Places' area http://www.changing-places.org/the_campaign/what_are_changing_places_toilets_.aspx
Cafe Restuarant Unit One - Large space for restaurant .... New Kiosk Unit 1 - much smaller retail space
At least one screen will need to be fitted with one of the new RealD projection systems then.
Not having the info with me I can't say exactly how many screens will be 3D, there's more than one though. I can't remember the last time I went to a cinema but even I am really looking forward to seeing Disney's 'UP' and the Christmas Carol, both in 3D. I know someone who has seen a trailer and say it is amazing.
CC should be here November ish, Shot in imax it will pass on standard 3d projectors.
'Up' came out 29th May in the States, to rather 'mixed reviews'* again shot for standard 3d and imax. Pixar decided to sell it as a Christmas movie over here. Although it's release date is October, which seems a bit indecisive.
The one that they're all waiting for is 'Avatar' a combination of live action and animation (some scenes shot using over 120 cameras at once), and that has been held back until the cinemas can show it...and that requires the installation of the new 'Reality' Camera System (although many will only show it on standard 3d systems and thus the paying public will be short changed). Still, maybe the cinema owners will offer a reduction in seat prices ......whaddya think?
Agree! For me at least, the joy of being able to walk in to town and see a film, then have a decent choice of venues for food and drink after - magic. Its going to be a great Christmas present!
This may have been discussed previously but I can't recall seeing it. With our 'Brand New Cinema' only a stones throw from the multistory car park, I presume it will be open much later to accommodate the cinema customers.
This may have been discussed previously but I can't recall seeing it. With our 'Brand New Cinema' only a stones throw from the multistory car park, I presume it will be open much later to accommodate the cinema customers.
People will be able to walk through the mall from the car park to the cinema. Nice!
My vue on this is that the contractor agreed a date by which the cladding would be finished and the road would be handed back to the ratepayers. This didn't happen and I have every sympathy with their lack of space.... but that's what planning is about and if they have overrun, that is bad planning. I believe they have had their pound of flesh and we have been more than patient. By the contractors dragging it out, so to speak, the road improvements and reconstruction of the pavement is going to overrun as well. This is a commercial concern, albeit that WBC are hanging on the coat tails of the development, and I wonder if this was going on in London that they would have had this amount of concession.
Just a little clarification on the matter. The contractors handed the road back to WBC about 3 weeks ago. That's why the road closure signs disappeared and maybe why more people keep driving down there. (Not that the signs made any difference)
Just a little clarification on the matter. The contractors handed the road back to WBC about 3 weeks ago. That's why the road closure signs disappeared and maybe why more people keep driving down there. (Not that the signs made any difference)
They may have handed it back although not three weeks ago as they still have kit there from time to time, including a crane lifting the air con stuff and putting up signs. Thanks for the reassurance though, it makes me feel much better. The opening picture on the other cinema thread is dated August 17th by the way. Note the cranes and lifting gear around the cinema
They may have handed it back although not three weeks ago as they still have kit there from time to time, including a crane lifting the air con stuff and putting up signs. Thanks for the reassurance though, it makes me feel much better. The opening picture on the other cinema thread is dated August 17th by the way. Note the cranes and lifting gear around the cinema
With WBC keeping the road closed to improve the pavements etc., and the contractors making the most of it doesn't change the fact that it was handed back about 3 weeks ago. As far as I know the crane operated from the service ramp, that's why it was closed off completely for the day (Sunday)
I had noticed Threep had got more cantankerous since earlier days of the forum but it seems to be infectious.
The problem, if there is one with Threep and I and anybody else, is that you weren't here to keep us in line so you may have some catching up to do.
Can't speak for the others, but my problem, far from hating Newbury, is that I love it, I appreciate it, respect it, and sincerely wish it could be all it could be..
Watching it get slowly destroyed and turned into 'clone town' by a bunch of clueless, greedy, incompetent, lying, duplicitous, self-serving, idjits makes me blood boil. Watching good people suffer for the sake of some headlong rush to become yet another multinational corporate 'retail experience' saddens me greatly.
Can't speak for the others, but my problem, far from hating Newbury, is that I love it, I appreciate it, respect it, and sincerely wish it could be all it could be..
Watching it get slowly destroyed and turned into 'clone town' by a bunch of clueless, greedy, incompetent, lying, duplicitous, self-serving, idjits makes me blood boil. Watching good people suffer for the sake of some headlong rush to become yet another multinational corporate 'retail experience' saddens me greatly.
Can't say as I can find much to disagree with here.
Watching it get slowly destroyed and turned into 'clone town' by a bunch of clueless, greedy, incompetent, lying, duplicitous, self-serving, idjits makes me blood boil. Watching good people suffer for the sake of some headlong rush to become yet another multinational corporate 'retail experience' saddens me greatly.
You won't be using the cinema or the new shopping complexes then?
You won't be using the cinema or the new shopping complexes then?
I'll certainly be using the cinema. As I subsidise it through my council tax I think I should try it out. Not so sure about the new shopping centre though as I imagine it will be full of loud teenagers who can't afford the train fare to Festival Place/Oracle.
Can't speak for the others, but my problem, far from hating Newbury, is that I love it, I appreciate it, respect it, and sincerely wish it could be all it could be.. Watching it get slowly destroyed and turned into 'clone town' by a bunch of clueless, greedy, incompetent, lying, duplicitous, self-serving, idjits makes me blood boil. Watching good people suffer for the sake of some headlong rush to become yet another multinational corporate 'retail experience' saddens me greatly. Threep.
I struggle to disagree with this. Amongst other things, hitherto, the good thing about living in Newbury, is that Reading, Basingstoke and the rest, are just down the road should I need them. Meanwhile, I have the 'comfort' of living in a modest sized market town without all the baggage of living in those blots.
Do you intend to boycott the new cinema and shopping facilities?
Lots of people boycotted Sainsbury's when they relocated, I bet some of the more determined still do (it was only about 16 years ago, so too early to get over the grudges) but do you think Sainsbury's have suffered? Do you think they even noticed?
Lots of people boycotted Sainsbury's when they relocated,
Did they all work in the KC? Only I can't think why anyone but a KC shopkeeper would be bothered.. Well, aside from motorists who had the new lights and resulting jams inflicted on them. Personally, I think the cinema is an eyesore and that it shouldn't be subsidised, but I will use it if there is something I want to see. My children are very happy about it and that's who WBC are pandering to. Big mistake as kids have always moaned that Sundays are boring (from around 12 - 22), then spend the rest of their lives wishing Sundays were like they used to be.
Don't be silly....my shopping route takes me from Waitrose to Forkins and back...that uses up Northbrook St. and the market place and Bart St. on the way back. The new 'Arndale Centre' don't appear to be on me route.
If I want to see a movie that badly, then it's either Leicester Sq. or the Imax.
If you look at all the old postcards of Newbury, they all seemed to get the town clock in the picture. Now, judging by the comparitive size of the Parkway boring machines in a recent photograph on this forum and the probable height of the tower, every future postcard of Newbury will have that somewhere in the picture. I am working on a house at the moment to give it another hundred years life so within the structure I am going to build in a time capsue with a print out of the current Newbury.net forums. When the building is demolished in say 2100 and the time capsule is found, the pictures of the cinema and the comments might be interesting to a couple of generations in the future. They will be astonished I'm sure and will have to ask their grandad "What is a cinema?".
They will be astonished I'm sure and will have to ask their grandad "What is a cinema?".
Not sure about that. Live theatre is thousands of years old and until we all have houses with huge screens (yeah, I know there's loads on the Ave) I reckon we'll still be putting up with slurping, burping families in the row behind. Bliss!
Not sure about that. Live theatre is thousands of years old and until we all have houses with huge screens (yeah, I know there's loads on the Ave) I reckon we'll still be putting up with slurping, burping families in the row behind. Bliss!
I would bet that a hundred years from now, we will have a corner of the living room set aside as a stage to project 3d images into space rather than staring at them on a bit of plastic. So, given the possibility of this technology, we may game play or participate in the action in a room like Starship Enterprise's simulcast or holographic room. I know about live theatre, it's as bad and as boring now as it was a thousand years ago although we are getting a little short of Christians for the Lions.
Either you will or you won't. Do you intend to boycott the new cinema and shopping facilities?
Why boycott? I regret the way Newbury is being over-developed and, even more, the dire, over-sized designs adopted for so many of the new buildings - but this has been going on for decades. I shop in the Kennet Centre occasionally, despite the naff architecture; I am inclined to use Waterstones (what a dire building that is); I even go into Boots occasionally.
I guess I might go to the cinema - I tend to go every 5 years or so. But I would much rather see it demolished.
As for Parkway - if there is a shop there I want to use rather than go to the branch in Reading or Basingstoke then I will use it. However, I would prefer Newbury to remain a smaller market town and am very happy to go to Reading for shops that aren't available in Newbury. Not that I anticipate any interesting shops coming to Parkway.
See, if you still lived in West Ilsley you could pop over to the cinema in Didcot like us.
I'm really not sure where your infatuation with Didcot comes from. You mentioned many times on the last forum how much you prefer going there as opposed to Newbury.
Whatever you think of whats happening in Newbury, lets face it, Didcot is a complete shit hole. But then, I suppose they have free parking, so that makes it worthwhile.
Seriously, I cant, for the life of me, see how anyone can prefer the place to Newbury.
But I don't like Didcot. I really like Wantage though.
I doubt if anyone actually likes Didcot, it's just very convenient. Wantage is indeed much nicer, just a shame that the cinema there got closed down for lack of disabled access.
I doubt if anyone actually likes Didcot, it's just very convenient. Wantage is indeed much nicer, just a shame that the cinema there got closed down for lack of disabled access.
Sorry, my great Aunt and her husband moved to Didcot 20 years ago and wouldn't live anywhere else. Yes, they like it and the people arond them. Apparently no pretension, live and let live. They came from Winchester, where they'd been for some 40 years previously.
Driving by today, it looks as if we might, not before time, soon get our two way road back. The pavement people were laying kerbstones which is promising.
I believe the cinema is opening on 6th November. The advertising company have have spoken to me and have confirmed that this is the target date.
Are we going to see an advert for the 'Brian Newman driving instruction experience' on the big screen as we wait for the feature film to start. Would that come before or after 'Bugs Bunny'.
Are we going to see an advert for the 'Brian Newman driving instruction experience' on the big screen as we wait for the feature film to start. Would that come before or after 'Bugs Bunny'.
Anyone who goes to watch "Bugs Bunny" would probably be too imature to drive, so it would be a waste of money advertising at the childrens matinee.
Driving by today, it looks as if we might, not before time, soon get our two way road back. The pavement people were laying kerbstones which is promising.
At least another 4 to 6 weeks before that happens. Once the road reopens to East bound traffic, the traffic jams will return to the Wharf once again.
Just to cheer everyone up, the gas board will be digging up Cheap Street and Kings Road West to install a new gas main and renew feeds into the shops for eight weeks from September 21st.
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