Councillors in Gateshead announced today their consent to the erection of a five-floor cinema costing £4.7 million at Tesco‘s Trinity Square scheme.
As part of the Vue cinema conglomerate, the cinema will take up 24,000 sq ft and contain nine screens within the Trinity Square project spearheaded by Spenhill, Tesco‘s regeneration subsidiary.
Being the largest development of its kind outside of London, Geoff Moore, Vue‘s Property Director, is delighted by the start of the £150 million venture.
“We are very excited to be involved in this scheme with Spenhill,” he commented.
“The development will deliver to the people of Gateshead one of the most technically advanced cinemas in the UK and form a key part of our development strategy to introduce Vue cinemas into the North East over the next three years.”
Aiming to be a hot spot for youngsters in the surrounding area, the square will include a village which will house 993 students attending Northumbria University, 45 retail units of space, health facilities and a newly constructed Tesco store.
A new Tesco Extra store is also in the pipeline following the recent demolition of the old 30,000 sq ft building just four weeks ago in Gateshead. A temporary store is currently operating on the high street in its place.
Last week, the supermarket giant launched an online subscription service that allows customers to save money on delivery costs, estimating a £100 saving in total as the grocer continues its dedication to low cost grocery services.
Doug Wilson, Spenhill‘s Corporate Affairs Manager, welcomed the new addition to the site.
“The Vue cinema will be a key component of the Trinity Square scheme, and will be crucial in the revival of the town centre,” he said.
“The demolition of the Tesco store allows us to increase the pace of development, and we will see significant progress on the cinema, as well as the student accommodation and retail units over the coming weeks and months.”
