Pavilion Casino plans scrapped for Cinema

Plans for a major cinema development next to the Pavilion in Westover Road will be unveiled today (March 24th 2011).

A special exhibition is being held in the Pavilion’s Lucullus Room to showcase the £35 million scheme and give the public the opportunity to comment.

The project, which was delayed as Bournemouth Borough Council and the Meyrick Estate agreed the terms of a complicated land swap, originally included a casino but that element has been shelved in favour of a nine-screen cinema.

Developer Trevor Osborne said:

“We’re grateful to the public for their patience. We’ve used the time wisely to fine tune the designs and to create something which will benefit the community of Bournemouth and its visitors. Our dream is to create a landmark building and to kick-start regeneration of Westover Road.

“The Odeon Cinema is keen to move to our new development and there’ll be an opportunity to create something distinctive in the space they leave behind.”

The distinctive swirl design in the original scheme remains the same but the footprint of the building has changed – bringing more of a presence onto Bath Road South. The cinema will be housed underground and there’ll be a bigger landscaped garden. The project will create around 350 underground parking spaces.

Trevor added:

“We’re inviting the public to come and take a look at the changes, to see the new model, give feedback and ask questions about the plans. This building is for the people of Bournemouth and we’re determined to deliver something residents can be proud of.”

Plans for the landmark scheme, which was designed by Piers Gough of CZWG Architects, will be submitted to Bournemouth Borough Council in April and, if they’re approved, work will start this autumn, with the grand opening scheduled for spring 2013.

Plans are on show to the public from 10am till 2pm on Thursday March 24.

Background on the project

The Pavilion Gardens Project, which occupies a currently vacant area on the corner of Bath Road South and Westover Road, was originally put forward four years ago and received wide support from traders. The delays brought about by the deal with the Meyrick Estate meant the project was ready to progress in the height of the economic downturn and the decision to scrap the casino element reflects both changes to the market conditions and negotiations to create a building everyone could enjoy. The project will include a distinctive glass interval court.