EXCLUSIVE ‘Come on Curzon – play fair by Ripon
Councillors are set to add their weight to calls from Ripon BID for Curzon to give Ripon its cinema back.
It’s 32 months since the London‑headquartered cinema company pulled the plug on its most northerly venue, and since then the premises on North Street — which opened in a blaze of positive publicity in November 2013 — have remained empty 🏚️.
At Monday evening’s full Ripon City Council meeting, Andrew Williams, leader of the majority group of independent councillors, will put forward a motion which, if supported, will see the council make a direct approach to Curzon chief executive Philip Knatchbull, calling on him and the company he heads to take urgent action to bring the part of the building that it rents back into active use ⚠️.
In an exclusive interview with Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon blog, Cllr Williams said:
“I have received numerous approaches from both business owners and residents, who are deeply concerned about the negative impact that Curzon’s protracted closure is having on some city centre traders, while also detracting from the look of this site at a key junction.” 😟
Cllr Williams, who is a member of the Ripon BID board, added:
“It’s galling, because in its sustainability statement, Curzon says that the films it screens:
‘Will help stimulate the conversation for creating a shared, sustainable future’ 🌍
And adds:
‘We (Curzon) are also taking important steps to reduce the impact our cinemas have on the environment.’”
He pointed out:
“If this is genuine, I and fellow councillors are saying: ‘come on Curzon, play fair by Ripon.’” 🤝
BID manager Lilla Bathurst pointed out:
“A new operator with expertise and the necessary funds agreed a plan with Sterne Properties Limited, the building’s locally based owners, to reopen the building as an exciting new leisure facility comprising a cinema, children’s soft play, café, restaurant and a live lounge 🎥🧸☕🎶, but, despite Sterne’s best efforts, negotiations with Curzon on the surrender of the current lease, which has around 12 years left to run, appear to have stalled.
“Curzon appear to have no plans for the premises and in this stalemate situation we, with the backing of Ripon BID members, have been calling on Curzon to give the Ripon economy a boost by helping the city to put back in place a key element of our leisure and hospitality offer 💼📉.
“They have this within their power and to illustrate the depth of feeling of our members and residents who would welcome the return of a cinema and leisure facility to Ripon, we are encouraging independent traders and local citizens to write to Philip Knatchbull at Curzon Cinemas Limited, 7th Floor, The Kodak, 11 Keeley Street, London, WC2B 4BA.” ✉️
Among the BID members who will be writing to Mr Knatchbull is Rebecca Crallan, who opened The GreenHouse eco‑friendly home and garden supplies store in North Street four years ago.
She said:
“It is so unfair that a large business like Curzon can, through its inaction, have such a negative effect on small businesses such as mine. To them, Ripon may just be a dot on a map that they decided to rub out, but to us it’s a proud and ancient city where we live and attempt to make a living.” 🏘️💚
Rebecca Crallan, pictured outside The GreenHouse in North Street, less than 50 yards from the cinema closed by Curzon in July 2023, will be among those BID members writing to Philip Knatchbull.
