Bognor Picturedrome could be saved by residents creating a 'citizens' cinema'

Some 400 was offered within five minutes as members of the audience left Tuesday's (September 1) public meeting on the future of the Picturedrome, held at the cinema.

The appeal fund was launched by Longford Road resident Jan Cosgrove at the meeting.

He said: "This appeal is for enough money to buy out the current owners of the cinema and replace them with a company owned by the people of the town.

"This is to prevent the cinema being turned into four flats.

"If Bognor Pier Co doesn't want to run the cinema, it's for the town to buy it. It's as simple as that," he said to applause and cheers from the packed audience.

Another idea, backed unanimously by those at the largest public meeting in the town for at least 20 years, was the proposal Bognor Regis Town Council should spend public money to ensure the cinema's future.

Bognor Regis 21 regeneration committee chairman, and former town mayor, Roger Nash, made the suggestion.

He said: "This meeting overwhelmingly says the cinema should remain. We don't want flats.

"It's time for the town council to take the lead and become the community champion it should be. It's got to happen sooner rather than later. If the council acts quickly, it will be doing the town a huge favour."

Members of the audience who filled the main auditorium to fight for films rather than flats ranged in age from babies in prams with their parents to pensioners.

The meeting's chairman, Bognor Regis Civic Society chairman Laurie Barnes, said: "Coming to this meeting shows you care.

"Whatever else has come out of the meeting, the mood overwhelmingly is that we would like to see the cinema stay open by some means or other."

Aldwick resident Colin Crouch said: "This has been one of the best meetings I have been to because we all care so strongly."

Joan Audrey Jones, of Felpham, said to cheers: "We all want the cinema. Bognor is in the middle of a restoration plan.

"If this is going to be one of the finest resorts on the south coast, it needs a very good cinema.

"A cinema is something everyone looks for as well as a theatre. These two things are absolutely vital to the future of the town."

Civic society deputy chairman Hugh Coster said a partnership should be set up between the cinema's owner, operator and the public to tackle the repairs.

"It's not essential to turn it into flats to save it," he said.

A male speaker in the meeting described the cinema as a focal point and meeting place and spoke of the town's soul being thrown in the bin if it was sold.

A mother in the audience said: "We don't want poxy flats here and we don't need them either."

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