Dismantling of former cinema on track - but its future use is still to be decided

The 10-week project has seen Pete Marquis Contractors dismantling the screens and clearing the former movie theatres at the 10-screen multiplex on Rigby Road.

Mr Marquis said: “We’re well on schedule and have upped the manpower and machinery on the site so the work should be finished by the end of the month.”

A planning application to convert the building into a self storage facility was submitted to the council by owners Austringer Capital Ltd in July and is still awaiting a decision.

The scheme also proposes creating three food and drink outlets at the front of the building with indicative computerised images depicting brands including Nandos, Subway and Greggs, although no tenants have been confirmed yet.

Fresh documents submitted in response to the application include an objection from Blackpool Council’s public health department which has raised concerns over the number of food outlets proposed within the scheme.

The objection warns Bloomfield ward, which includes the Odeon site, is one of Blackpool’s most deprived neighbourhoods which means residents, including children, are at higher risk of obesity and poor outcomes linked to unhealthy eating.

It says there are currently 46 fast food outlets trading in Bloomfield ward including fish and chip shops and burger bars, with another 14 currently closed but which could re-open.

The objection says while it is acknowledged the outlets proposed for the Odeon are not hot food takeaways, “Public Health have concerns that additional food establishments will add to the burden of obesity within the ward.”

The team is calling for healthier food options to be considered for the site if planning permission is granted for the scheme.

The Odeon closed in June after its lease came to an end and Austringer Capital Ltd had secured planning permission for alternative leisure uses for the building.

But efforts to find a leisure operator have failed, and in June it was announced a self-storage business was being earmarked for the site, with Storage King revealed as the prospective tenant.

Town hall planners are currently considering the application.