'Our fight is not over yet' - neighbours consider judicial review after Berwick temporary cinema decision

Members of Northumberland County Council’s North Northumberland Local Area Committee gave the proposal their green light at its meeting in Tweedmouth last Thursday.

Residents living in neighbouring properties on Ravensdowne formed a group opposing the application to convert the Barracks Mobilisation or ‘Mob Store’ into a 96-seat cinema.

And in a statement following the meeting, they said: “The decision will negatively impact our day-to-day lives, especially sleep, at times seven days a week for three years.

“We are currently considering what action can be taken, including a judicial review, to try and make the council properly consider the evidence we provided. What else are we supposed to do?”

Noise issues were raised during the meeting and the statement also says: “Our acoustic experts feel that the Maltings will probably struggle to pass one of the key conditions regarding noise leakage before it can open. Who wants to go to a Cinema where the noise has to be turned down?

“This clearly dawned on one or two people for the first time at the meeting and we will obviously want to monitor all the acoustic tests ourselves.”

One of the residents, Ian Madeley, stressed that they fully support the conversion of the Mob Store for the purposes of Berwick Archives, which is planned to take place after the temporary cinema period.

But they believe a cinema is not needed at the Mob Store and Ian has an issue with Coun Colin Hardy saying the following in the meeting: “I have sympathy with the residents and I would have used a similar argument to stop the hospital being built, which is just outside my door, but we all have to take a little bit of pain from time to time to support the betterment of the town.”

Ian said: “Coun Hardy’s analogy comparing the hospital to the cinema was clumsy and quite insulting to us.

“Unlike the hospital, there is precious little evidence that the Maltings development is needed at all or will reach its potential – in fact, the cinema demographic is getting older with less frequency of visit. Younger people will still go to Newcastle or Edinburgh to get a proper cinematic experience.”

Scott Sherrard, chair of Trustees at the Maltings (Berwick) Trust, explained why the trust believes this project is needed.

He said: “Creating the temporary Mob Store cinema is the first in a carefully planned sequence of interlinked steps. It will maintain an essential entertainment service for the town and provide vital income for The Maltings while the Eastern Lane venue is closed.

“It will equip the Mob Store to become the Berwick Archives’ permanent base when The Maltings moves back home – making efficient use of public funding and securing the Archives’ future in Berwick.

“And with work also planned on upgrading the Gymnasium Gallery, it launches the long-awaited revitalisation of the Barracks as a flagship visitor attraction for the town.

“We appreciate that these developments will bring some unavoidable upheaval in the short term. But together they will create new opportunities for Berwick, bringing fresh energy and vitality to the town centre.”