Developer says ‘significant strides’ made in Scarborough’s new town centre cinema plan amid questions about progress

In March 2023, councillors hailed the approval of plans for a new town centre cinema in the Brunswick Centre as “a game changer for Scarborough”.

Scarborough Group International (SGI) bought the “mostly vacant shopping centre” in 2021 as part of a multi-million-pound plan to transform the 1990s centre into a major cinema and leisure destination.

A decision on a cinema operator was expected in the months following the council’s approval and in November last year, SGI said it had chosen a partner to run the cinema.

However, the chosen partner has not yet been named publicly amid ongoing “legal matters”.

The developer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that while it was unable to provide further details at the moment, it was making “significant strides towards advancing the project”.

It said that this included “site surveys” and that “soft strip out works [have] commenced in some of the vacant units in preparation for the anticipated start on site later this year”.

It also said it would continue to provide updates as the project developed.

The Scarborough Group told the LDRS: “We fully appreciate the interest surrounding the progress of the Brunswick redevelopment, particularly in relation to the centre cinema operator selection.

“However, at this stage, we’re unable to provide any further details in respect of who the operator is until such time that legal matters have been concluded.”

It added: “We understand the importance of transparency and will continue to provide updates as the project develops further.”

SGI, an international property developer and regeneration specialist, said the cost of the scheme would be funded by a mix of private and public sector investment including Levelling Up Fund allocations.

The conversion of the ailing Brunswick shopping centre aims to turn it into a leisure-led destination, complete with national bar and restaurant chains, indoor sport and recreation, and increased parking space.

The cinema will take up to 2,700 sqm out of the Brunswick’s almost 14,000 sqm of space, with the exact number of screens and the size of the cinema set to be agreed with the operator.