A WOKINGHAM town centre cinema is to be demolished in favour of building 22 flats over three storeys, despite fears that the new building will be two big and out of keeping with the locality.
At a meeting of the planning committee held last Wednesday at Wokingham Borough Council’s offices in Shute End, councillors approved plans to blitz the Ritz in Easthampstead Road.
Under the proposals, the site will feature one studio apartment, five one-bedroom flats, 14 two-bed flats and two three-bed flats. There will also be a ground floor car park that will be accessed from Denton Road, while a first floor communal garden will give residents somewhere to congregate around.
However, there were concerns that the plans were out of keeping with the area, which is mostly residential although the cinema is next to Wokingham Fire Station and The Victoria Arms pub.
Wokingham Town Council objected to the plans, noting: “On the side of building with underground parking it is in effect a four-storey building and not in keeping with buildings in area.”
They also wanted to see more emphasis on alternative energy sources within the development, such as Solar Panels and grey water solutions that would collect rainwater for reuse.
Residents also raised concerns over bedrooms backing on to waste disposal areas, insecure bike parking and additional traffic. There were also fears that the flats were too small.
One commentator noted: “When taking into account the limited recreational, external storage and parking space provided, along with the occasionally unwelcome scent from the many eateries in the vicinity, a harmonious environment would seem unlikely.”
Wescott councillor Maria Gee called for the planning committee to debate the plans, and wanted an archaeological survey to be one of the conditions of the build.
She added: “I object to this proposal as it stands. The design and access statement is not at all clear, and I would like to see this clearly structured so that a proper assessment can be made.
“This site would be suitable for some residential use … The site is central to town, and has good transport links.
“The current use is not the best that could be made of the site, and I would welcome a proposal that serves both immediate neighbours and the wider community in a better way.”
The former cinema was regarded as one of the finest cinemas in the south of England when it opened in May 1937. This was the very early days of ‘talkies’ – films where the actors’ dialogue could be heard – and they were all in black and white.
It had stalls and a balcony and was also an entertainment venue, housing talent shows and the carnival queen contest.
In the late 1970s, Jora Leisure Ltd turned the cinema into a bingo hall, complete with a pool hall and an American style coffee bar. Films continued to be screened there but a 10-screen complex that opened in Skimped Hill in Bracknell meant the final reel for movies.
The bingo continued until earlier this year and the site is now empty. It had also been used as office space for The Link Visiting Scheme.
As part of the terms of building the flats, the builders must provide a detailed record of the existing building in the form of 1:50 survey plans and elevations, black and white photographs of all elevations, and typical interior details to preserve a record of the features of the historic building.
