Cinema scheme the carrot to push through unwanted Wildmoor development

If it wasn’t for the carrot of a cinema none of this would have passed planning, there is nothing in it of any benefit to the town, we have plenty of empty shops already (and we have not heard about any cinema chain interested in moving in, we might yet end up with another empty building).

Yes Mark Booth, Wildmoor Properties director, is right when he says in the online Standard “You can virtually see the tumbleweed blowing down the street.”

Particularly when it blows past the boarded up King's Head hotel, and the empty Corn Hall, “After 5pm, Cirencester just dies as a town” says Oli Christie in another quote.

Well Oli, in years gone by, before Wildmoor got its hands on the Corn Hall, it was used regularly by local community groups and weekends there were sell out music concerts attended by up to 400 people, now it's desolate and unused evenings and weekends.

I believe amongst the clauses they signed up to when they bought the property, was one to continue with these events, but as some of the facilities are still not completed, don’t get too hopeful!

Wildmoor's dismissive comment on the alternative plan for a cinema states that you need to have years of planning and in-depth research before you can submit plans like theirs, to be able to get it right.

So what went wrong with the King's Head then? Been boarded up so long there is a generation in Cirencester that have not seen it in any other way!

The rooms being planned for students (to start with anyway) states they cannot have a car, but that does not stop their many friends from driving in to stay or visit at all hours of the day and night causing disruption for local people.

Before Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown starts complementing Wildmoor on its plans I would advise him to read into the company and its plans with a little more depth, rather than just add his signature.

PAUL BLANNIN Cirencester