City centre cinema development hit by delays

A city centre regeneration project which will transform a vacant store into a cinema has been hit by delays, a council leader has confirmed.

A new Everyman venue was due to open in Lichfield's former Debenhams store in April, but MP Dave Robertson said there had been little visible progress.

He previously wrote to Lichfield District Council describing the site as an "eyesore" and said the project was becoming a disappointment for residents.

In response, the authority's leader Doug Pullen said the decision was taken earlier in 2026 to change contractors and progress was improving.

Pullen said he met with the project team last week and was "pleased to see the pace of work now being achieved", with construction scheduled to be completed in December and a target opening date of spring 2027.

"Although it may not always be obvious from outside the building, a huge amount of work has taken place," Pullen added.

"The former Debenhams building has required extensive structural alterations to transform it into a modern multi-screen cinema."

As part of the development, the cinema will also have a number of food and beverage outlets, including The Botanist.

The latest financial documents said the project had a budget of £7.28m but Pullen said the full cost would be published at a later date.

"We always knew this would be a complex project but the scale of the work has proved even greater than originally anticipated," he added.

"I should also be clear that multiple factors, including additional structural work, has had a cost impact on the scheme."

The leader of the Conservative-controlled council said he remained confident the project was "the right investment for Lichfield" despite the delays.

He said he believed, after meeting the costs of operating and maintaining the building, it would deliver a net return of more than £200,000 every year.

"The cinema will strengthen both the daytime and evening economy, attract more visitors, support local businesses and create an income-generating asset for the district," Pullen added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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