Owner of 15 cinemas across NI calls for clarity on when they can reopen

The owner of 15 cinemas in NI, including the Omniplex in Craigavon and Belfast, has called for more clarity on when they can reopen.
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Paul Anderson, who also owns 18 cinemas across the Republic of Ireland, said they could be in the difficult position of opening a cinema in Dundalk but unable to open another in Newry just 15 minutes away.

Cinemas in the Republic have been given the go-ahead to reopen on June 29 but there is still no date from the NI Executive on when they will reopen north of the border.

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“We are not getting much feedback on dates for reopening in the north. We were hoping for more clarity. Ideally it would be a similar date to that in the RoI but that would be a tight turnaround,” said Mr Anderson.

The Omniplex in Craigavon.The Omniplex in Craigavon.
The Omniplex in Craigavon.

He explained that the date is all important so they can organise the return of staff on furlough, their retraining and staff rotas.

He added there was a lot of work and investment on refurbishing the cinemas to ensure the safety of staff and customers when the cinemas reopen, including perspex shields at tills and hand sanitisers.

Mr Anderson said this was all being done at considerable expense and they would need advance notice, around two weeks, to get things into place.

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The cinema owner said they would also need clarity on the two metre social distancing rule. He said at 2m they would be betweeen 25/30% capacity whereas at one metre they would be at 50/60% capacity. He also pointed out their booking system was set up to automatically block seats behind and in front of those who booked tickets to ensure social distancing. “We are in a very controlled environment. People will only be permitted in if they have booked seats online. The safety of our staff and customers is a priority,” he said.

“I appreciate the current situation and it is a tough time for politicians, who are making tough decisions. But we need clarity. We are trying to put our best foot forward and make sure we adhere to the rules,” he said.

Mr Anderson said they were rolling out the reopening of their cinemas in the RoI and they needed clarity on when they can prepare to reopen the cinemas in NI.

“We need to get staff back for training. The vast majority have been on furlough in NI. It has been very helpful in retaining jobs.

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“Now coming up to the end of Lockdown, the lack of clarity is the issue.”

Mr Anderson said he was impressed with the NI Executive’s Roadmap to Recovery. “It was a very good document but I felt the big error was not having dates. Business needs tangible dates. We need to deal with suppliers and get stock into cinemas. We need to sort out staff rotas and shifts.”

Mr Anderson has 15 cinemas in NI including in Armagh, Antrim, Banbridge, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Craigavon, Londonderry, Dundonald, Dungannon, Downpatrick, Belfast’s Kennedy Centre, Larne, Lisburn, Newry and Omagh.

The Department for the Economy spokesperson said “Cinemas are subject to the application of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020.

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“The NI Executive’s five stage plan for easing the lockdown published on 12 May 2020 - Coronavirus: Executive Approach to Decision-Making permitted the opening of Drive Through Cinemas as part of the Stage 1 plan within Sports, Culture & Leisure Activities. The Executive will consider the evidence underpinning the UK Government’s announcement of the reopening of cinemas in England from 4 July and the reduction in the 2m social distancing guidance. Businesses should ensure their risk assessments reflect any change in guidance and or regulations.”

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