Major plans put forward to encourage new businesses around £14m Beeston cinema development

The Arc cinema building in Beeston.
By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter

Development plans to transform the area around the Arc Cinema in Beeston and bring more than 100 jobs to the town will be discussed next week.

Broxtowe Borough Council will be handed a progress report looking at the business plans around the cinema at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, May 24.

Councillor Milan Radulovic (Lab), leader of the council, had previously said he wanted the site to be “Beeston’s answer to Nottingham’s Cornerhouse”.

Businesses have come forward to occupy some of the empty units around the £14m Arc Cinema, which opened last May.

But there has been some changes to the housing plans opposite the cinema site at Station Road car park.

The council says developers have submitted a planning application to change the consent from 132 apartments to purpose-built student accommodation.

Applicant, the Cassidy Group (Beeston) Ltd, is proposed to construct an eight storey building with retail on the ground floor and student accommodation above to include 419 student beds.

The status of the application is “pending consideration.”

The progress report also discusses the business units around the Arc Cinema.

This includes Italian restaurant Ottimo, from the team behind Nottingham venues Sans Patrie and Bar Sans Patrie.

The venue opened at the end of April, creating around 45 jobs.

The Beeston Social will also open at the site, run by the same company behind Nottingham’s Das Kino, the Blind Rabbit and the Hockley Arts Club.

It will take up 8,000 square feet of the site and employ around 70 people.

The progress report to cabinet says the venue is now in its final stages of “fitting-out units two and three, and is planning to open the week of June 6”.

The council also says that food, dessert and milkshake store, Rassam’s Creamery, is due to complete the lease of unit one “any day now and expect to start fitting-out almost immediately”.

“They should be ready to trade in a couple of months’ time,” the council added. “This leaves just one small unit – number four – of the new development available and agents are actively seeking a tenant for this.”

The progress report also says the letting of the first floor of the former Argos block in The Square is moving at pace.

Virtual reality gaming company, Core VR, is in “solicitor’s hands and is expected to open shortly after the August Bank Holiday”.

The proposed letting of the former Argos store to a Shisha Lounge operator is not now proceeding due to “the inability to comply with smoking legislation”.

Construction works for new public toilets near the cinema are also scheduled to start on site in July with a four-month build programme.

Speaking previously to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Radulovic said: “The cinema and social complex will be a major destination not an attraction.

“In Beeston, as you can see on market day, there are hundreds of people around but in the evening it drops off.

“We want to boost the night-time economy. We want to create a Cornerhouse there like in Nottingham. You will come to Beeston and not just go to the cinema but use the bars and restaurants and it will give a major lift to the town.”