New Northampton Odeon opens at the site of closed Cineworld
A new cinema has opened at the site of a former Cineworld which closed earlier this year.An Odeon Luxe will operate from Sixfields Leisure in Weedon Road, Northampton.The chain's previous site in the county, located in Kettering, Northamptonshire, closed in January and is set to be demolished.Sian Jenkins, Odeon's commercial director in the UK and Ireland, said: "We were really happy to take on this project, we saw an opportunity here."
The Cineworld closure on 19 January was part of a wider shake-up within the Cineworld group, which saw six locations shut as landlords opted to reclaim properties during the company's restructuring process.A petition to keep the Cineworld open attracted more than 800 signatures, with locals describing the closure as "another important staple of our town being taken away".A separate petition to save the Odeon in Kettering gathered more than 2,000 signatures, but the site was approved for demolition by North Northamptonshire Council.
Ms Jenkins said the closure of the Kettering Odeon was a mutual decision between the chain and the landlord, adding the company was "really sad to let to community down there".She added: "But this opportunity came up and there is, from the location point, some cross over there, so it a was really good solution for us with the unfortunate closure of Kettering."
Brit Voller, the new cinema's manager, said: "It's been a journey getting it all ready, but seeing now we can't wait to guest through the doors."
'Good for all cinemas'
Wendy Goldie the manager of the Arc Cinema in Daventry, 11 miles (18km) away, welcomed the Odeon reopening the Sixfields site.She said: "It's great to see investment in good quality cinema facilities – it benefits the community that lives nearby, and encourages cinemagoing generally which is good for all cinemas."Last year with announcement of several cinema closures there was concern about the industry but Ms Goldie said the Arc had a "extremely loyal" customers."Our amazing staff really look after them and build relationships with them [and] we do engage with the needs of the community," she said.
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