A FORMER cinema owner who has offered to help save Prestatyn’s Scala has learnt two other parties are interested in taking over the venue.
Trevor Harris with his letter from Denbighshire County Council (Credit: Rhyl Journal)
Trevor Harris, aged 75, was featured in last week’s Journal offering to help take on the Scala Cinema and Arts Centre if efforts by the current trust fail to secure its reopening.
Mr Harris, who previously owned Oswestry’s Regal Cinema, received a letter from Denbighshire County Council’s corporate director of economic and community ambition after expressing his interest. He was surprised to discover that the authority had “already been approached by two potential operators”.
The letter, that the Journal has seen, states: “While we are not yet in a position to actively pursue an alternative operator, we are keen to be able to do so should circumstances permit.
“We have been approached by two potential operators already and asked them to set out their proposals in writing for us.
“We are interested in proposal from operators willing to take over a lease of the cinema and operate it on a commercial basis without the need for subside fro
m the council.”
Mr Harris said he plans to set out a proposal but first needed to clarify information connected to the Scala’s situation.
He added: “I would like to know who these other two parties are.”
“I’d like to have a tour of the Scala and look at the books but no one is getting back to me. The longer that place is shut the worse it will get. At this rate, they will end up forfeiting the lease.”
A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council refused to confirm they had received interest in the cinema from three parties, adding:
“The council is committed to seeing the cinema up and running again and there is the option to follow up any serious alternative offers in the event that the Scala is unable to continue trading.”
Source: Rhyl Journal news article 29 January 2015 by Suzanne Jordan
